Home Is Where I Can Be With You
by Emerald Omen
Summary: Its been a few months since Frieda was brought to Sodor by a faulty freighter. After I finally got through to her, we both realized that we had feelings for each other, and we're now a couple. But when Sir Topham Hatt is replaced by a new controller... Frieda and I find ourselves needing a new place to call home. A new continent. Sequel to "Learning to Love"
1. Chapter 1

As I looked out my window, I sighed contently. Life was... as perfect as it could be right about now. I had a steady job, a place to live, and someone to share my life with. I looked down at the shed next to my house, where Frieda was sleeping.

Ever since I met her a few months back, my entire life had changed. After her initial introduction to Sodor, and getting her to soften her heart, she became as happy as I was. She finally had a place she could call home, and had a shed to stay in. A _drastic_ change from her original home in Germany.

She had told me stories of her home in Germany, and very few of them were happy ones. Her controller hated her, and treated her poorly. She never had a shed to sleep in, and was almost always confined to slow speeds due to the traffic of the railway. Over time, it made her quite upset, and she had to harden herself to deal with it. That is why she was so cold to everyone when she first arrived.

You will be like those you hang out with, more or less. If you're surrounded by people who treat you like dirt, you'll treat others like dirt. That's just the way it goes.

But I had been patient with her, and after a while, she had learned to love. She was fairly friendly now, and we both loved each other very much. The two of us had confessed feelings for each other after an accident she had that nearly destroyed her.

It would have... had I not been there to stop her.

I shook my head, and forced myself to not think about it. All that mattered now was that she was safe, and I loved her. As big and intimidating as the German engine could be, I always saw past her tough demeanor, and saw the kind woman inside.

I got dressed, then walked to the front door, before stepping outside. I quietly walked over to Frieda's custom built shed, and entered. As I looked at the sleeping German, I remembered everything that had happened recently.

I had given up my job as the dock manager in trade for being Frieda's driver. It paid less, but it was less stressful, and allowed me to be with Frieda as much as possible. It made the both of us quite happy. She had an Express route now, alongside Gordon's. She ran along the coast of Sodor, allowed to move at the speeds she enjoyed. Her line ran past the beach, through a few of the smaller mountains, and ended at Vicarstown Station. She seemed quite happy with it, as was I.

When Sir Topham Hatt had gotten back from his vacation, I had informed him of Frieda's new home, and he was happy to have another engine on his line. He gave her the Express route after I explained what her home was like. He felt bad for her.

"It's all in the past now." I said quietly. Frieda was breathing peacefully, probably dreaming of high speeds. She always had the most pleasant smile on her face when she slept. Before coming here, the dream world might have been the only place she found joy.

I gently placed a hand on her buffers, and she stirred.

Well shit. I didn't mean to wake her up, she was normally a heavy sleeper.

She yawned, and opened her eyes, before looking down at me.

"Anon? Vat time eez eet?" she asked. I smiled sheepishly.

"Uh, about three in the morning. I didn't mean to wake you, I just couldn't sleep myself. I just came down here to look at you, and go through memories." I said. Frieda sighed.

"Must you feel ze need to vake me as vell?" she complained, yawning. I bowed my head.

"I didn't _mean_ too. I thought you would have been sleeping deep enough that I wouldn't have bothered you. I'm sorry." I apologized. Frieda smiled a little.

"Eet eez fine. I vas dreaming about you und ze Express anyvay." she said. I smiled.

"Good things about both, I hope." I said. She smiled, and looked out the small window in the wall of the shed.

"Perhaps." she said, blushing. I sighed, and leaned against her.

"I love you."

"ich liebe dich auch." Frieda replied. I frowned at her response.

The one and only thing that bugged me about Frieda was that for some reason, she could never say she loved me in _English_. She would only say it in German. I had brought it up once, but she dodged the question. Clearly, it was something she did not want to talk about, and I respected that. But I hoped someday, I'd hear those three meaningful words in English from her.

The two of us sat quietly for fifteen minutes, before Frieda broke the silence.

"Vat should vee do? Eet is to late to get back to sleep, und I do not haf to be ready fohr ze Express until seven." she asked. I looked outside. It was still dark out.

"Want to go for a night run?" I suggested. Frieda wasn't usually out at night, even though her four headlights were some of the brightest on the island.

"Nein, I vould prefer to keep my energy fohr ze Express." she said. I sat there in thought for a few minutes.

"Vhy did you come to look at me? Vouldn't you rather try und get back to sleep?" she asked. I shook my head.

"I'm like you. If I wake up after a certain time, I won't get back to sleep, so it's pointless to try. I just wanted to come and see you while you sleep. I know that sounds weird, but it's nice to see you at peace. Smiling gently while you sleep, looking content and happy. It makes me happy." I explained. Frieda was silent for a moment.

"I haf never been happier zen ven I vas accepted here. Zis eez ze first place zat has ever felt like home to me." she said. I smiled.

"And just think, it was all because of that ship having an engine failure."

"Ja, zat is vhy steam eez better zen diesel." Frieda said. I chuckled. There was no arguing with that.

The two of us chatted for a long while, before it was finally time to start Frieda's fire, and get her ready for the Express. I climbed into her cab and threw a lit match into her firebox. It roared to life, and would be warm enough for Frieda to move soon. Frieda groaned as she began to warm up. It was kind of her way of stretching.

I opened her shed doors, and she squinted as the sunlight found its way towards her.

"It's going to be a lovely day. Perfect for the Coastal Express." I said. Frieda slowly moved forwards, steam building inside her boiler. She crawled out of her shed, and let the sunlight cover her bright blue body. Her red wheels shone brightly, accenting her perfectly, as they always did.

While she warmed herself, I did my normal morning maintenance. Lubricating her drive rods, axles, pistons, and giving her entire body a wipe down.

"Express engine's always have to look their best! Not that you'd need me for that, but still." I said, climbing onto her bumper so you could apply her light shade of eyeliner. Frieda blushed, and looked at me.

"No von has evfor taken better care of me zen you do." she said. I smiled as she closed her eyes, so I could gently apply her makeup. She only wore eyeliner, but the thin black highlight above her eyes really did make her look lovely.

"Oh shoot." I said, smudging a little on her cheek.

"Vat?" she asked. I climbed off her bumper.

"I smudged a little. Hang on, I'll get it off." I said, getting a clean rag from your house. I came back out, and got back onto her bumper, gently wiping the smudge off, and then I stood back as far as I could to look at her without falling off of her bumper.

"Perfect." I said. Frieda smiled, and looked at me with lidded eyes.

"I might need some... _motivation_ to get started zis morning..." she said, blushing. I smirked.

"Ah... and tell me, what might this... _motivation_ be?" I teased, leaning towards her. She didn't answer as I placed my lips on hers, giving her a gentle kiss of passion.

As we kissed, the sun smiled down on us, warming the both of us to our cores. A gentle summer breeze ran through the air, and through my hair.

We were finally forced to part as my watch beeped. I looked at her lovingly.

"Time to go..."

"I vill go anyvhere, as long as eet eez vith you." she whispered, smiling at me gently. I gave her another kiss, and then got back onto the ground.

"I'll go where you go, my lovely German." I said, climbing into her cab. Frieda blew her whistle, piercing the quiet morning air, and chuffed towards the start of her line, Elsbridge Station.

. . .

The moment Frieda pulled into the station, everyone waved at her. She had gotten quite popular recently. Of course, the Express engine's were always popular. But she enjoyed the attention. She whistled cheerfully to everyone as she slowly coupled up to her eight bright blue and red coaches, custom built for her from the Mainland. She pulled the biggest Express on the Island, much to Gordon's annoyance. But, Frieda was stronger than he was, and Sir Topham Hatt wanted to make use of that fact.

I stepped out onto the platform to get my morning coffee while the passengers boarded. The Elsbridge Coastal Express, as I called it, left at exactly seven thirty seven, leaving a few minutes to bumble about. I bought my coffee, and then walked back out onto the platform, smiling as I saw two children gazing up at Frieda in awe. She smiled kindly at them, and greeted them.

"Hallo leetle vons." she said. The children patted her side, and smiled up at her. I sighed.

Most would think it's impossible for such a grumpy, bent out of shape engine as she was when she first arrived to turn into such a kind, friendly, and lovely engine. But I knew Frieda was always a kind engine inside, she just needed help show that part of her.

I looked at my watch. The Express didn't leave for five more minutes. I decided to humor the children. I walked over to them, and bent down next to them.

"Admiring my engine, are you?" I asked. The two children looked at me with big smiles.

"She's your engine Mister?! Really?!" one asked gleefully.

"She's pretty!" said the other one. I looked up at Frieda, who winked at me.

_Let zem climb inside. Show zem around._ I heard her say in my head.

That was another thing. About a month ago, Frieda had asked me to be her Rider. I didn't have a bloody clue what that was, so she had explained it all to me.

In a nutshell, it was something engine's only asked someone they REALLY liked to be. It was kind of a magical bond between the person and the engine, and it gave them all kinds of unique abilities. The would feel each others emotions and feelings, share each others problems, and just be closer to each other as a whole. The two become one, as it were. The Rider and engine would always work together, and most of the time, the engine would only allow their Rider to drive them manually if need be. But the MOST important part of the bond was the protection. A Rider would protect their engine with their life, as would the engine protect you with theirs.

But the coolest part, to me anyway, of being bonded with Frieda was that the two of us shared a special mind link that allowed us to speak with each other through our thoughts.

When Frieda asked me to be her Rider, I had barely hesitated with my answer. I loved Frieda, and would have protected her with my life even if I wasn't her Rider.

I glanced down at the red wheel on my left palm. It had appeared after I accepted Frieda's request. It was the sign of the bond, that I was a Rider. As long as it was on my palm, I would always be bonded with Frieda.

I smiled at the two children.

"Would you guys like to see inside?" I asked, standing next to her cab entrance. The children's eyes widened in excitement.

"Can we?!" they asked. I smiled.

"Of course. We've got a few minutes before she has to leave. I'd be delighted to show you the workings of a steamer." I said, carefully picking the two children up, and setting them inside Frieda's cab. They looked around at the numerous levers, gauges, and knobs. They looked at the pile of coal at the rear of the cab, leading in from her tender.

"Wow, it looks so complicated!" one child said. I chuckled.

"Once you get used to it, it's pretty simple. See that lever there?" I asked, pointing to the throttle. "That lever controls her speed. The closer you pull it towards you, the faster she goes. And that one..." I said, pointing towards the brake. "That one slows her down. The more you turn it to the right, the faster she stops. And the coal goes into her firebox, but let's leave that shut. It's very hot, and dangerous." I said. I explained a few more things, and even let the children blow Frieda's whistle, with her permission, of course.

_Eet eez time to go, Anon._ Frieda said in my mind. I gently set the children back down onto the platform.

"It's time for me to go, you two. Step back a safe distance, and watch this big girl at work!" I said, smiling from the cab. The two children stepped back, and Frieda blew her whistle. Steam erupted from her sides, hissing through the air as she slowly began to puff forwards. Smoke poofed from her funnel, creating the magical cloud above.

"Bye pretty engine!" the children called. Frieda blew her whistle at them, before fully leaving the station, and picking up speed.

_You're such a sucker for kids._ I teased.

_Of course. Children vere not allowed to be near trains back home. Eet vas considered dangerous._ she replied. I shook my head.

Frieda's home was such a rotten place. I was just as happy as she was that she had moved here.

As Frieda charged through the country side, she finally reached the coast, the ocean water flickering in the sunlight.

"Let's see what you've got!" I shouted out her window.

"You haf asked fohr eet!" Frieda said, opening up her throttle. She glided along the coast track, the Express coaches smoothly trailing behind. From the feedback I had heard, the passengers always loved speeding along the coast to the next station. It was a beautiful sight, and it always was a nice way for them to start their day.

As we rounded a corner, Emily and James passed by the other way, pulling a mid sized goods train.

"Hallo!" Frieda called to them, blowing her whistle.

"Hello Frieda!" the two smaller engines replied, blowing their whistles in response. I leaned back, and smiled.

Although Frieda had given all the engines a scare upon her arrival, _especially_ Thomas, most of them had warmed up to her by now. Thomas was still a little weary of her, but he had reason to be. Back when Frieda first arrived in the dockyards, he had made an teasing comment to her that made her quite angry. She lost her temper quite badly, and biffed Thomas off of the rails, and onto his side. That's why he always tried to steer clear of her.

Frieda pulled into the next station with expert precision, and hissed to a stop. I wiped my eyes as I got some of the salty coast air blown in my face. As the passengers boarded and deboarded, I shoveled a dozen shovel fulls of coal into Frieda's firebox. She was a large engine, and took quite a bit of coal to get going.

I heard the guards whistle blow, signaling that Frieda could proceed. She blew her whistle, and began moving forwards once again.

This sequence continued for a few hours, traveling to the specified stations along Frieda's route. She didn't stop at all of them, only the larger ones. When she came to the beginning of Gordon's hill, Frieda pumped her pistons, and climbed it with ease. As she stopped at Maron Station, the station manager frantically waved her down. I poked my head out of Frieda's window.

"When you pass through the Sodor Search and Rescue Center, you must stop! There's been an incident. Sir Topham Hatt has been hospitalized! We need all the engines to meet at the Rescue Center. Leave your Express coaches here!" he ordered. I raised my eyebrows in shock.

Sir Topham Hatt was in the hospital... leave the Express coaches behind? This sounded extremely serious. The Express stops for nothing unless it is of the utmost importance.

Frieda was uncoupled from her blue coaches, and the two of us quickly turned off of the mainline towards the Search and Rescue Center.

. . .

When Frieda and I arrived, the Search and Rescue Center yard was absolutely PACKED with engines. Almost every engine that I knew of was present. Loud whistling, chuffing, and chattering filled the air. Frieda struggled to squeeze into the yard, as she was one of the largest engines on the Island.

_Vat do you think eez going on?_ she thought to me.

_I don't know, but it's something very important._ I replied.

Frieda finally found a spot, and parked, just as Mr. Percival, the lesser known controller arrived. He stood high up on a freight car, and signaled for everyone to be silent. The chatter and other various noises slowly died down. Mr. Percival had a somber look on his face.

"Thank you all for coming with haste. This is quite possibly the most important, and most unfortunate announcement I'm ever going to make." he started. I climbed out of Frieda's cab, and the two of us looked at each other in worry.

"Sir Topham Hatt... has died of a heart attack." Mr. Percival announced sadly. Several gasps filled the air. My eyes widened.

Sir Topham Hatt... was _dead_?

The man I had worked alongside for so long was gone?

I looked at Frieda with a horrified expression. She looked a little surprised, but not nearly as much as I probably did. I realized that Mr. Percival was still talking.

"A funeral will be held for him in three days time. Unfortunately, there will not be anyone to run the railway for a few days. I'm retiring tomorrow, so I won't be running it. We will have to get a new controller." he said. I did remember he had said something about his retirement recently.

"Nobody can replace Sir Topham Hatt!" one voice shouted, before several others began to agree. Mr. Percival raised his hands for silence.

"I know that. Sir Topham Hatt was the best controller around, and nobody can replace him. But this railway still needs one! There's nothing I can do about that! A new one will be arriving in a few days. I've already spoken with him, and he's qualified for the job. He hasn't given me any details, but he does have a few changes planned. We can only hope that they're for the better. In the mean time, I know you all will strive to remain really useful. It's what Sir Topham Hatt would want." he said, before stepping down.

I leaned against Frieda, and let out a breath I hadn't realized I had been holding.

So Sir Topham Hatt was really gone. I couldn't help but wonder what the new controller would be like. Would be be like Sir Topham Hatt? Or would he be different?

And what changes would he bring?

Only time will tell. I'd just have to wait and see when the new controller arrives.


	2. Chapter 2

I was quiet for the remainder of the day. All of the engine's had to go back to their jobs, so Frieda and I went back to fetch her Express coaches, and continued on our way. I was kind of in a daze, watching mindlessly out Frieda's window as the scenery quickly passed. Eventually, Frieda's voice slunk its way into my mind, interrupting my thoughts.

_I can feel you hurting Anon. I am fery sorry zat ze Sir Topham Hatt vas lost. I did not know him long enuff to grow attached to him. _she thought to me. I sighed.

_I worked along side him for years. I just... the idea that he's gone is going to take me a little bit to get used to._ I replied. Frieda gave me respective silence, but would occasionally have to remind me to keep her fire up. I wasn't paying much attention anymore.

Finally, the day was over, and Frieda and I headed home. As she backed into her shed, I failed to tell her to stop before she bumped the buffers at the end of the track. Her tender abruptly stopped, jolting her to a stop as well.

"_Komm schonn_ Anon, I need you to do your job." she said. I shook my head.

"Sorry Frieda. I'm just a little out of it." I said, climbing out of her cab.

"Ja, I know. Zat is vhy I am hafing to keep you een check." Frieda said. I looked up at her, and her face softened. "Eet vill be okay, Anon. I am sorry fohr my attitude tovards you. I am still getting used to feeling your emotions. Eet is taking a toll on my own." she said, looking ashamed. I gently patted her bumper.

"It's okay. Feeling your strong will inside me is helping me get through this. I know I'm probably doing better than Lady Hatt, or Dowager Hatt. They must be heartbroken..." I said, sitting on Frieda's buffer bar. Frieda's steam slithered out from underneath her, and up my legs. The warmth felt calming.

"I know you are a strong man. You vill get through eet, and I vill alvays be by your side. Believe eet or non, you are ze most important thing een my life." she said. I turned to look at her. She was giving me a nice loving smile.

"Thank you Frieda. That means a lot to me. You know you're the most important thing in my life." I said, pecking her cheek. She blushed.

"Ja, ja, I know. Vhy don't you try und get some sleep now. It vill help you feel better." she said. I rolled my eyes, and stood up.

"Yes mom." I remarked. Frieda smirked.

"Do not talk back to your mother, or else I vill haf to punish you..." she said.

"And HOW, pray tell, would you go about doing that?" I asked. Frieda grinned mischievously.

"Non kisses fohr a veek. Vat about zat, eh?" she said.

"I'll go to bed now." I said, walking towards the shed door. I heard Frieda laugh heartily behind me.

"Zat is vat I thought. Sleep vell, meine Liebe." she said.

"Pleasant dreams, Frieda." I said, gently closing her shed door. I looked up to the night sky, and sighed. Talking with Frieda made me feel a lot better. After all, how much could having a new railway controller really affect our lives?

. . .

Over the next two days, things partially returned to normal. All the engines were back doing their retrospective jobs, and I had been in higher spirits. The new controller was arriving today, and everyone was nervous to see what he would be like. Frieda's Express route was not running today, so she had been given the task of pulling a goods train, which she wasn't extremely thrilled about.

"I am un streamlined passenger engine. Pulling things like zees eez _not_ vat I vas made fohr." she grumbled as she slowly chuffed along the mainline with her load. About twenty trucks of fruit and vegetables for the new controllers arrival ceremony this afternoon. I patted Frieda's side.

"Remember what I told you back when you first arrived? You can't always do what you enjoy all the time. That's just how life works. It makes doing the things you enjoy special." I said. Frieda saw the wisdom in my words, and went silent.

As she stopped at a red signal, Gordon pulled up next to Frieda. He was pulling a load of supplies for the ceremony as well, and wasn't much happier about it than Frieda was.

"The indignity, making me pull a freight train!" he complained. Frieda rolled her eyes.

"Join ze club. I hope ze new controller does not change my position." she said. Gordon agreed.

"I am built to pull passengers, and that is what I've always done. I'll see to it that I keep my job, even if I have to prove that I'm the best Express engine on the Island!" he said. Frieda scoffed.

"Vat ees zer to proof? I am newer, faster, und stronger. Eef zer eez any Express train left, I vill be ze von to pull eet." she said proudly. Gordon laughed.

"_Please_! Everyone knows that a grand engine like myself is best for pulling the Express. I've been here far longer than you, and I will always have more experience. Having a female engine pull the Express when there is a superior male engine to do it is unthinkable." Gordon sniffed. Frieda's boiler pressure gauge went sky high.

"Und vat is vrong vith a female engine?!" she snapped. Gordon huffed.

"Nothing, technically. But you and the rest of them are so..." I cut Gordon off.

"So _what_, Gordon? I'd advise you to keep your tone in check. Just because Sir Topham Hatt is gone, does not mean you get to speak freely. I see several reasons why Frieda should pull an Express over you, the main one being she isn't full of herself, and sexist as you are!" I said sternly. Gordon opened his mouth to reply, but I didn't let him.

"Your signal has turned green, Gordon. I suggest you get a move on. Can't have you blocking the way of the more important trains, now can we?" I said. Gordon looked quite angry, but he chuffed off none the less.

"Prick." I muttered, pulling my head out of Frieda's window. Her signal turned green, and she started forwards.

_Vhy did you do zat? I could haf dealt vith him myself._ Frieda asked.

_If you think I'm going to stand by and let someone insult you, you're insane._ I snapped, still in a bitter mood.

We both continued the rest of the way in silence.

. . .

When we arrived at Knapford station, I discovered that the new controller had already arrived. There were at least a dozen engines at the station, and he was meeting them all. As Frieda pulled in, I eyed him curiously. He was an average height, probably around 5' 9", and had jet black hair cut short. He wore a simple suit, and looked like a nice enough fellow. He did look a bit foreign, however. The moment Frieda saw him, she screeched to a stop.

_NEIN! IT CANNOT BE!_ she yelled in my head. I winced as her yelling made my head hurt.

_What?! What can't be?!_ I replied. I felt Frieda begin to tremble.

_Eet... eet is him! He is... my old controller! From Germany! He's American, but lived in Germany for most of his life!_ she said. My eyes widened.

_Are you sure?!_ I asked. Before Frieda could respond, the new controller spotted her.

"Frieda! There's a face I haven't seen in a while!" he exclaimed, walking over to her. Frieda said nothing. I stepped out, should anything happen. The new controller's smile faded as she saw Frieda's attitude.

"Right, you never were a very talkative one. And who is this?" he asked, turning towards me. I smiled, and shook the mans hand.

"I'm Anon, Frieda's driver. Nice to meet you." I said.

"My name is Dennis Markov, but just call me Dennis, please." the man replied. I could feel Frieda watching the two of us exchange pleasantries. Dennis looked back towards her, and I spoke up.

"Frieda tells me you were her controller in Germany. Is that right?" I asked. The man put on an extremely pleasant smile.

"I was, wasn't I? But I got a little tired of the inefficiency of the German line, so I moved here when I saw the position open. It will be a nice change." he said. Something about that sentence bothered me.

_Inefficiency_?

"I see. Well, Sodor is a very nice place, I think you'll like it here." I said, taking a step back towards Frieda.

"Oh, it is, I can tell. It will be better than ever once I get through with it..." the man said with a somewhat unnerving tone. I became uncomfortable.

"Uh-huh. Well, we're just dropping off our load. Frieda and I... have another run to make." I said, before getting back into her cab.

"Of course, of course. Feel free to stop by my office anytime. I'm always ready to talk." he said, staring at me intently.

I chuckled nervously as Frieda pulled out of the station. I looked back, and saw Dennis watching us as we pulled out. Something about that man bothered me... and I wasn't sure what it was.

. . .

"Unglaublich! Undenkbar! _Von allen Orten hatte er gehen konnen!_" Frieda shouted from the siding. I flinched at her yelling.

"Hey hey, take it easy! I must admit, him showing up here is a little coincidental, but what could he _possibly_ do here? Sodor runs perfectly, and no controller would mess with a well operating system." I said, massaging her side. Frieda laughed at my words.

"Oh Anon, so leetle you understand. Zat man cares not fohr anything except _money_! He vill ruin zis place! I guarantee eet! You do not understand, because you do not know him as I do." she said. I sighed.

"Even if you're right, what can we do? It's not like we can just run away. This is your home, and my home. I'm sure together, we can get through whatever it is Dennis has in store. I must admit... he unnerves me a little bit." I said. Something about that mans gaze was... unsettling. Frieda looked unnaturally scared.

"I haf moved here to be avay from him, vhy does he insist on folloving me!?" she said, a few tears beginning to run down her face. I was surprised.

"Whoa, hey! Don't cry Frieda! I'm here... shhhh." I said, standing on Frieda's bumper to dry her tears.

"I... I cannot live vith him being around. I von't! He vill ruin my life!" she sobbed, her eyeliner running down her face.

"Oh, Frieda, please don't cry. I don't like seeing you cry. You're such a tough girl, I can't believe that man can get under your wheels like this." I said, leaning my face against hers in comfort. Frieda sniffed.

"You do not know ze haf of vat he did to us." she whispered, shuddering. I put a hand to Frieda's face, and winced. I could feel Frieda's fear and anger inside of me.

Whatever untold things Dennis did to her... it must have been quite extreme for Frieda to be this bothered by him.

"What _did_ he do?" I asked quietly. Frieda looked at me with fear in her eyes. It was the first time I'd ever seen Frieda scared.

"He... he eez evil! He favors diesels over steamers, und he treats streamers like dirt! He does not care vat happens to us! He barely maintained us! I got into un accident von time, und he did not efen haf me repaired, he just yelled at me for being careless, und zen made me keep on vorking! Vith damaged parts!" she exclaimed. I frowned.

Could this new controller possibly be _that_ bad?

"Maybe I should go and see him tonight. Find out what his so called 'changes' are exactly." I said.

"You cannot stop him, Anon. He eez ze boss now. He vill fire anyone who stands against him. He has done eet befohr." she said warily. I looked at my watch. It was the beginning of the evening.

"You don't have any more jobs today. Why don't we get you home, and hopefully being in your shed can make you feel better. I know I always feel more protected from the world when I'm at home." I said. Frieda agreed, and once I had climbed in, she began to chuff towards our home.

Although I had told her that being in her shed would calm her, my primary reason for wanting to get her inside it was so no harm could come to her. The new controller surely did not know that Frieda stayed with me, or where I lived, for that matter. He couldn't have had the time to go through all of his paperwork yet. I was going to keep him away from Frieda as much as possible, if anything because the sight of him seemed to set Frieda off, or put her in such fear, she could barely handle it.

It was time to go and find out what Dennis's plans really were.

. . .

Once I had tucked Frieda into her shed, I got out, and looked at her. She still looked very unhappy. I climbed onto her, and gave her a passionate kiss.

"I promise Frieda, as long as I'm around, I will not let _anything_ happen to you. I will do anything in my power to keep you happy. Even if that means... even if it means moving to a far away land with you, away from everything I know." I said, giving her a small hug. She closed her eyes, and smiled at my embrace.

"Vielen Dank, Anon. I am so fery glad to haf met you." she said with tears in her eyes. I smiled, and brushed them away.

"As am I to have met you. You're a strong engine, Frieda, and I know we can get through this together. Let me go and find out exactly what we're dealing with here." I said, stepping back onto the ground. I stayed with Frieda until she had fallen asleep, massaging her side in rhythm to help the sleep come.

Once she had finally closed her eyes, I quietly closed her shed door, and walked back to Knapford. It was a little ways away, but I needed the exercise anyway.

By the time I arrived, night had fallen, and Knapford was quiet. The ceiling lights lit up the platforms, and the only people outside were the clean up crew, making sure the station looked its best for the next day. I walked up to the office door, and knocked.

"Come in." I heard Dennis say. I opened the door, and entered. Looking around at the office, I cringed. The office wasn't the same anymore. All of the potraits Sir Topham Hatt had of Thomas, and the Steam Team had been removed, replaced by pictures of diesels, and unfamiliar people.

So Dennis really _did_ prefer diesels over Steamers. But why should that matter? Upon seeing me, Dennis smiled.

"Ah! Your Frieda's driver, right? Anon, I think." he said, sitting at his desk. I nodded.

"Yes Sir. I have some questions about... what exactly you're going to be doing with this railway. I'm not trying to pry, just curious." I said. Dennis gestured for me to sit in the chair opposite him. As I sat, he took one of the diesel photos on his desk, and showed it to me.

"Do you know what this is, Mr. Anon?" he asked, pointing to it. I looked closer. It was a fairly modern looking diesel of some sort.

"A diesel?" I said. He chuckled.

"Partially. It is the German ICE train, a masterpiece of speed and fuel economy. It's a diesel electric, and it is fast enough to run the Express lines around here in half the time it takes the currents trains to do it, and at a fraction of the cost. It even tilts in corners, to counter the centrifugal force. The passengers are always comfortable, unlike sometimes here if an engine takes a corner to fast. They're a good piece of engineering." he said, setting the picture down. I leaned forwards.

"Sodor's steamers are just as capable of pulling passengers as any passenger diesel electric... whatever you call it. Gordon is never late, and Frieda is one of the fastest engines on the island." I said proudly. Dennis leaned back in his seat, and smiled.

"Perhaps, Mr. Anon... perhaps. That may be, but they're old fashioned. Steamers have been out of date since the fifties. Diesels are more powerful, easier to maintain, cheaper to run, and all around better. While I agree that what Sodor has going on now is alright, I believe it's time to make it better, and I'm ready to take the steps to do so." he said.

"And _how_ exactly are you going to do that?" I asked, narrowing my eyes. Dennis chuckled.

"I'm going to get Sodor out of it's vintage era. It's time for Sodor to be modern, and make some money. And the first step to doing that... it's quite simple." he paused, looking at the diesel in the picture again. Then, he looked back at me, smiling. But it wasn't a friendly smile.

"I'm going to rid Sodor of its outdated Steamers, and introduce the era of the diesel."


	3. Chapter 3

"What."

Dennis smiled.

"You heard me. It's a brilliant idea, isn't it? With all of these old fashioned Steamers sent back to their original countries, diesels will take over Sodor, and make it a better railway. I'm having an ICE train sent over here soon, and more diesels. With the electric diesels, and cheaper to run diesel fuel, we'll save lots of money!" he said. Something clicked in my head.

"You're... sending the steamers back where they _came_ from... so... where is Frieda going?" I asked hesitantly. Dennis chuckled.

"She'll be going back to Germany of course. They'll probably use her for a little while, and then scrap her. The era of the steam engine has long since ended, and it's time to put them to rest." he said.

I quickly stood.

"You _can't_ do this! The steamers aren't just machines! They are living souls! You can't just kill them because _you_ don't want to maintain them! You're taking away what makes Sodor special!" I said. Dennis didn't look moved.

"We'll just have to agree to disagree then. Now, if you don't mind, I have some work to do. Please show yourself to the door, and have a good night. All the Steamers will start going home tomorrow, so I suggest you say your goodbyes tonight, since for some reason, you have apparently gotten attached to Frieda." he said.

I walked towards the door, and turned to look back at Dennis.

"You're an evil man. A greed ridden evil man, who only cares about money." I growled. Dennis smiled.

"In these times, the rich survive. The engines were built to work, and follow orders. If you can't deal with that fact, you will learn to soon." he said. I slammed his office door behind me, and broke into a run back to my house.

Frieda and I needed to get off this island _now_. There was no way she was going back to Germany.

. . .

"Frieda! FRIEDA!" I shouted, bashing my way into her shed. She awoke with a start, frantically looking around, until she saw me.

"Verdammt Anon! Vhy do you alvays insist on vaking me!" she snapped. I forced myself to calm down, and speak clearly.

"Frieda, do you remember what I told you earlier? That I would always be with you, even if it meant leaving everything I know behind?" I asked. Frieda raised an eyebrow.

"Ja? Vat about eet?" she asked. I swallowed.

"Well... I'm going to end up doing just that. I've just finished speaking with Dennis. He plans on sending ALL the Steamers here back to their original homes. He's converting this Island to diesel, and he's going to send you back to Germany." I said. Frieda's eyes went wide.

"Nein! _Nein_, I cannot go back!" she said in fright. I placed a hand on her.

"I know, I know. Which is why... I've made the decision. We're leaving tonight. There's a ship at the docks right now. It has been there all day, and will be departing in the morning. It's bound for America. We need to get on it. Do you agree?" I asked. Frieda looked thunderstruck.

"So... I vill be forced to leave either vay?" she asked.

"Yes. I will go with you. I will not live in a place over run with diesels. They are rude, smelly, and not as beautiful as Steamers. I only moved here in the first place for the Steamers." I said. Frieda bit her lip.

"America eet eez zen. Get me fired up. Ve must make haste." she said finally. I nodded, and climbed into her cab to light her firebox. Once I did so, I climbed back out.

"I have to go inside, and pack my things. I've got an emergency stash of money in my house. I'll get that too. Then... we're going to have to go to the coach yard, and take one of your passenger coaches. I can't store everything and sleep in your cab." I said. Frieda nodded.

I ran inside my house, and grabbed two suitcases. I crammed everything I could inside them. Clothes, cash, and the a few small things in my home that meant the most to me. A half an hour later, I walked back out to Frieda, who was steaming gently.

"Alright, I've got everything. I'm taking my passport, because we're definitely going to need it at some point. We can't just take a ship to a different country and expect them to _not_ notice." I said, climbing into Frieda's cab with my bags.

"When we get to the yard, we need to take the sleeper coach. It has beds, a bathroom, and a bit of storage for luggage. We have to be quiet though, or we'll get caught, so no whistle blowing." I said. Frieda slowly chuffed out of the shed, and the both of us began sneaking towards the coach storage yard.

. . .

When we arrived, all was quiet. I only had one worry at this point. Daisy slept in this yard, and if we woke her, she would _definitely_ tell someone what we were up to.

_Be extremely quiet here Frieda! We're not alone here._ I thought to her. I glanced over at Daisy, who was sleeping quietly in her small shed.

Frieda quietly chuffed through the yard, taking great care to go easy on the throttle so her chuffing would not get to loud.

Eventually, we found the twelve blue and red express coaches in the back of the yard. The sleeper car was always on the rear, as to be the farthest away from the engine for peace and quiet, so it would be fairly easy to retrieve. When Frieda got to the rear of the coaches, I quietly got out, and switched the tracks.

_Slowly now. I'll tell you when to stop. We can't have you bashing into these cars to loud._ I said.

Frieda slowly reversed, and when she was about five inches away from the cars, I told her to stop. She applied her brakes, and gently nudged the coaches with a quiet tap. I coupled her to the sleeper, and then uncoupled the sleeper from the rest of the coaches.

_Alright, we've got it. Let me shut the coach brake off, and then we can go._ I thought, climbing inside the sleeper, which was thankfully unlocked. I found the brake lever, and pulled it, releasing the manual brakes on the sleeper car. I quickly jumped out, and climbed back into Frieda's cab.

_Okay, it's coupled. There are no trains out at this hour, so we're going to have to go slowly to keep up the silence! Keep your headlights off._ I instructed. Frieda did as I said, and after a few minutes of slow puffing, we had exited the yard, and were on the mainline, bound for the docks.

. . .

I banged my head against the wall of Frieda's cab. Frieda was doing well, going about ten miles per hour to keep quiet. The only trouble was, the docks were quite a ways away, and going this slow was extremely boring. There was also the fact that the American ship would be leaving in a few hours, and we had to get loaded onto it way before then.

"Speed up a little Frieda, we have to make the ship early enough to be loaded onto it along with the sleeper coach." I said. Frieda increased her speed slowly, until she was running about twenty five miles per hour.

After another hour, the docks were finally in sight. Frieda slowed as I looked around. So far so good, there were no workers around, and the ship was still in port. Cranky was asleep, which was very good. He would definitely ask questions, or even threaten to get the controller once he found out that a whole train was wanting to be loaded. Carly the yellow crane, however, was awake. Which was also good.

Carly was a bit on the naive side, and mainly did as she was told, by whomever told her to do it. Frieda and I slowed to a stop in front of Carly, who had just spotted us.

"Frieda? What are you doing here this late?" she asked. I quickly got out and motioned for Carly to shush, before motioning to cranky. Carly blushed.

"Oh dear, I suppose it would be rude to wake others." she said in a quieter voice. I nodded.

"We need to be loaded onto the ship. As quickly and as quietly as possible." I told her.

"Of course. The coach too?" she asked. I nodded. Carly swung around, and attached her train loading attachment, before swinging back around. I uncoupled Frieda's tender from Frieda, and then the coach from the tender. Each one had to be loaded individually because they were all quite large, plus they would uncouple if Carly tried loading more than one.

Carly loaded Frieda first, with me inside, onto the ship. She set Frieda onto the ship's railway elevator, and we were lowered into the lower cargo hold of the ship. Frieda rolled back so the tender and sleeper could also be loaded. Once they had been, I climbed out of Frieda's cab.

"I'll be right back. I need to tell Carly what to say if Dennis should ask her where we went." I said, climbing back to the deck of the freighter. I caught Carly's attention, and she turned to me.

"Carly, if Dennis should ask where we went, tell him you don't know. Please! He's going to send Frieda back to Germany, and she can't go back. So, we're leaving before she gets forced back. Can you do that?" I asked. Carly smiled.

"I guess? I don't want to lie to anyone... but if it's for the sake of you two, I guess I can." she said. I smiled.

"Thank you Carly. It will mean more to us than you can comprehend. And don't tell Cranky either." I said.

Suddenly, the eardrum blowing sound of a foghorn ripped through the air, and the freighter began to move.

I looked out over the edge of the ship at Sodor.

"Bye Anon! I'll miss you! You were the best dock manager we ever had!" Carly said, waving her hook.

With that one sentence out of Carly's mouth, it all hit me like a ton of bricks.

I was leaving Sodor, and going off to a whole new continent.

But for Frieda, it was worth it.

. . .

I made my way back down to Frieda, a troubled expression on my face.

"Vat eez vrong?" Frieda asked. I sighed, and leaned against her.

"I can't help but wonder what will become of the others. Thomas and some of the others will just go to the Mainland, Nia will go back to Africa, and Rosie will go back to America as well. I just hope that they will all be okay. As much as I hate to admit it, Dennis was right about one thing... steamers _aren't_ wanted or used as much anymore. If the homeland of the other engines doesn't need them... what will become of them?" I asked, looking up at Frieda.

"I do not know, but I do know zat all of ze others are strong, and vill do zeir best to vork hard." she said. I looked out one of the small windows in the side of the freighter. The Island of Sodor was getting smaller by the minute... and everything I had ever known was getting farther and farther away. I sat down on the floor, and leaned against the wall. Frieda looked worried.

"Are you sure you are alright?" she asked. I laughed.

"I'm _far_ from alright. I just left everything I have ever known behind in a matter of hours. My entire life between last night and now has changed drastically, and we have no discernible future currently. Forgive me for being a little worried." I said. Frieda looked hurt.

"But... you said you vould leave eferything fohr me, so ve could stay together. Ve are bonded. Do you not feel ze same?" she asked. I looked at her and smiled.

"Of course I feel the same Frieda. I would _never_ let you go back to Germany knowing what it was like for you there. But that doesn't mean I'm not worried about what will happen to us now. We're going to the other side of the world unannounced. There will no doubt be some troubles along the way." I said. Frieda looked up at one of the ceiling lights, then back to me.

"Az long az zer eez light in ze sky, zer is hope for ze future. Eferyday eez un opportunity for a new schtart." she said. I looked at her, her words setting in my mind.

She had a point. Nobody could know their future, because it was what you made it.

"You're right Frieda. We'll just have to make the best future we can." I said. The two of us were quiet for a while, letting the depth of the situation sink in. I checked my phone, and saw I wasn't getting any service.

Obviously.

There weren't exactly cell towers in the ocean.

Suddenly, the ceiling doors opened.

"Ah, it must be time for you to be on the deck. I requested that you be raised to the deck after we cleared Sodor. Can't have you staying down here the entire trip, can we?" I asked. Frieda smiled.

"Eet eez appreciated. I vould get sick of ze dim light after a vile." she said as the track platform she was on began to raise. I stood on the platform next to her, and squinted as the morning sunlight hit me.

Once the elevator stopped, I looked around. Ocean all around, the calm waves gently hitting the freighter.

"It's nice and calm today. Another beautiful day, and we should make the most of it, even if we can't really move." I said. Frieda licked her lips.

"Ze salty air eez something I vil haf to get used to. I can taste eet." she said. I inhaled deeply, and nearly choked on the thick air.

"_Wow_, you're right! That will take a little getting used to. But, we're going to be on this ship for at least four days, so we will have to get used to it." I said, making sure to not breath in too big of breaths.

Seagulls flew overhead, and the sky was clear. It was a perfect day to be on a ship, if you had good reasons to be.

. . .

That night, I had been sleeping peacefully in the sleeper car. Frieda had been lowered back into the cargo hold, and I had left the sleeper coach door open, in case she had needed me. I slept comfortably, and undisturbed... until a sound woke me.

"What is that?" I asked yourself, sitting up in the small fold out bed. I listened, and finally realized what the sound was.

It was the sound of crying.

I quietly got out of the bed, and walked down the empty aisle of the sleeper, before stepping out of it into the cargo hold. Frieda was sitting next to it, tears running down her face.

"Frieda, what's wrong?" I asked gently, walking up next to her. She looked at me, and then looked away.

"Go back to bed, Anon. I do not vant you to see me like zees." she said, shutting her eyes in an attempt to hold back her tears. I placed a gentle hand on her bumper.

"There's nothing wrong with crying, Frieda. Everyone does it." I said, leaning against her.

"But I am a strong engine, and strong engines do not cry." she whimpered. I scoffed.

"Please Frieda. It doesn't matter how strong anyone is, if they need to cry, then the best thing they can do is let it out. I don't know many who would judge someone just because they cry about something. I certainly won't. I admit, I don't like seeing you cry, but I won't hold it against you." I said, massaging her boiler. Frieda sniffed.

"Zen... you also von't judge me if I say I am scared?" she asked quietly. I smiled, and put a hand to her face.

"Of course not. There's nothing wrong with being scared either. I know you like to maintain a tough demeanor, Frieda, but sometimes, you just have to give it up, and let your emotions come out." I said, sitting on her bumper.

Frieda burst into tears.

"I am so fery scared! I do not vant to leave my home! I loved eet on Sodor. I had a job, a shed, and you. I am afraid of America! Zey vill surely not vant me zer!" she sobbed. I gently rubbed her cheek.

"I don't blame you for being scared. I'm scared too. I don't know what America will bring, but I'm sure there will be somewhere that needs a hard working engine, at least temporarily. It's a large country. I know for a fact that Steamers still run there. Not a lot, but they are there. Maybe we'll meet one, and have a new friend." I said. Frieda continued to cry, but her tears had slowed.

"Twice now I haf moved, all because of ze same man! I vish... I vish he vere dead." she said, frowning through her tears. My eyes widened.

"I don't think you really mean that, Frieda. I understand your hatred for him, but nobody deserves to be die because of how they are. At least, very few people do. You don't know why he's like that. Just like I didn't know why you acted like you did when you first arrived. Not until I was told. Then, I understood, and respected you. You can't judge someone when you know so very little about them." I said. Frieda sniffled again.

"But... he eez terrible! Vhy does he eensist on making my life hell?!" she asked. I shook your head.

"I think he's just one of the many people who only cares about how much money he has. He doesn't realize there's more to life than money. I could be penniless, but if I still had you by my side, I would be happy. I would rather have someone to go through life with, and be poor, then have all the money in the world, and be alone. Money will never buy happiness. At least not permanent happiness. Only love, and friendship can do that." I said, wiping Frieda's tears away.

Frieda sighed quietly.

"Do I really mean zat much to you? You vould be happy vith nothing, as long as I vould still be zere?" she asked. I nodded.

"Of course. That's why I gave up my home to go with you. I love you Frieda, more than anything or anyone. You help me through my hardships and my pain, just as I do with you. Support from a loved one is the best remedy for most situations." I said.

Then, Frieda said something I'd been hoping to hear ever since we'd gotten together. Something she'd never been able to say in English.

"I love you too. More zan anything in ze vorld."


	4. Chapter 4

The next three days on the ship were rather boring, and it was beginning to take a toll on Frieda. Not much had happened, except for the occasional seagull that would land on her, which annoyed her to no end. But, with her firebox out, she couldn't whistle at them. It was quite entertaining for me. In fact, I was laughing at one that had landed on her now.

"_Verschwinde_!" Frieda shouted, hoping that the seagull would listen. I snickered quietly, but Frieda still heard it. "Do you think zees eez _amusing_?!" she snapped. I shrugged, smiling.

"A little?" I said. As if on cue, the seagull took of, but not before dropping a little white present on Frieda's gleaming blue paint. Frieda's eye twitched as she look like she was going to explode.

"_Du elender Vogel_!" she screeched as the bird flew away. Then she turned her anger to me. "Vhy don't you make yourself useful fohr vonce, und clean zis off?! You useless man!" she snapped. I stopped laughing, and looked at her.

"_Really_? Make myself useful for once? Do you think I do nothing to help you, or anyone? Where do you think you'd be without me, huh? Ask yourself that the next time you think I'm useless, you ungrateful woman!" I snapped back, before heading for the stairs that lead below deck.

"Anon, _v-vait_!" I heard Frieda call. But I ignored her, and continued below deck.

"The nerve she has, to call me useless, and treat me like I'm nothing but a worker." I muttered to myself as I entered the sleeper coach. I lay back on the fold out bed, and let the gentle rocking of the freighter help relax me.

Being confined on the ship with very little to do was beginning to take its toll on both of us, and it was beginning to show. The little things were beginning to irritate us. After a few minutes, I felt Frieda's voice prod my mind.

_P-Please, Anon. I did not mean eet!_ she said. I scowled, and closed off my mind as best I could. I was quite sore with her. I had never been one to take insults well, but that was never typically a problem, since the Sudrian people were friendly.

_Do not talk to me._ I said, before ignoring her further pleas.

. . .

A few hours later, and the foghorn of the freighter startled me from my thoughts. I looked out the window, and saw land. The ship appeared to be docking. America had finally arrived!

I went through the cargo hold, and onto the upper deck. I walked to the side of the ship, and saw that it was indeed America. As the ship docked, I felt out of place. This was a foreign world to me.

The ramps came down, and I got off the ship. I stood idly by, waiting for Frieda to be unloaded. The crane worked back and forth, moving large shipping containers, and other things. Frieda had stopped trying to talk to me a while ago, so I was waiting to see if she was really sorry for what she had said. The two of us had never had a fight before, but she had finally figured out that I just needed some space after one.

After a half hour, the ships foghorn blew, and it began to slowly move forwards, exhaust erupting from its stack.

"H-Hey, wait a minute!" I said, quickly running towards the ship. Neither Frieda, or the sleeper coach had been unloaded.

_Frieda, stop them! Tell someone you're getting off here!_ I screamed in my mind.

_Zer is no von here! I cannot blow my vistle! Vhy haf zey not unloaded me?!_ she cried back. I ran to the edge of the dock. A man ran next to me.

"What's wrong?" he asked. I frantically looked at him.

"There was an engine on that ship that was supposed to get off here! I'm with her!" I said. The man's eyes widened.

"What?! We can't stop the ship now! It's already out of port. The engine will have to be unloaded at the next dock, in New York! It will take it at least two more days to get there!" he exclaimed. I steadied myself.

"And where am I, exactly?" I asked.

"San Francisco, California. About as far from New York as you can get here. Three thousand miles away." he said.

"WHAT!? All of my belongings were on that ship! Including my passport!" I screeched. The man looked down.

"I'm sorry, but there's nothing I can do!" the man said. After a about ten minutes of thinking, he suddenly looked as if he remembered something. "Wait! There's a train going to New York. It's making a special coast to coast run! You could take it!" he said. I looked at him.

"With what money?! It was on the ship!" I asked. The man frowned.

"The controller of this railway is a friend of mine. Quick, we can go find him. He'll be sure to help!" the man said, jogging off. I quickly made haste, following him. But not before calling out to Frieda.

_Don't worry Frieda, I will find you! You're being dropped off in New York!_ I said. But I got no response. I looked around, and saw that the ship was already gone.

She may not have heard me.

. . .

I explained my entire story to the American controller, who was happy to help.

"We have a special once a year train running from here in San Francisco, California all the way to New York, New York. It's the fastest way to get there besides flying. The train averages a speed of ninety miles per hour, and makes stops only for coal and water." he said. I nodded.

"Right, but my money was on the ship! I can't _possibly_ pay for it." I said, feeling defeated. The controller thought.

"You say you're the driver of the engine you're trying to find. Our primary driver for this trip is ill, and has been for a few days. We've been trying to find another, but haven't been successful. This goes against protocol and most rules, but... if you can go and assist the locomotive making the run... you can ride for free. We can have someone else make the trip back." he suggested. I perked up.

"Really?! But... crap. I only know how to drive a steamer. Diesel's are beyond foreign to me." I said. The controller smiled.

"Well, you're in luck then, because the locomotive making the trip is a steamer, one of the most beautiful and fastest ever built. She's been nicknamed 'The Queen of Steam', and usually makes runs from here to Los Angeles, or to the Central states, but she always pulls the once a year coast to coast." he said. I was thrilled.

"Oh, that's perfect! Thank you so much! When does it leave?!" I asked.

"It leaves tomorrow. The trip takes three days, and passes through Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinoiss, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and ends in New York. It runs on the Amtrak line, mostly. Are you _sure_ you're up for that? It's 3,400 miles of hot and dirty work. The shifts between you and the night driver rotate every ten hours. The non-working staff sleeps in the sleeper car." the controller replied. I nodded.

"Anything. I will do anything to get her back. We are lost without each other. We're bonded." I said, showing the American controller my Rider icon. He raised his eyebrows.

"_Now_ I understand why you're so eager to get to her. Don't worry, you will. I'll even call the New York dock, and have them hold her there when she arrives. What is the engines name, and what does she look like?" he asked, a pen and paper in his hand.

"Frieda. She's a DB Class 10, blue with red wheels, and also has a paint matching sleeper coach with her. That's what has all of my belongings in it." I said. The controller nodded.

"DB Class 10, huh? A one of a kind German steamer. What in the world is she doing all the way over here?" he asked. I sighed.

"It's a long and sad story. Just know that we need a place to finally call home, since we were forced from ours." I said. The controller nodded.

"Alright, I will. When you meet up with her, give this number a call." he said, handing me a slip of paper with a phone number on it. I nodded.

"Right. Is there somewhere I can stay until tomorrow?" I asked. The controller thought.

"The only place I can offer is a small Motel a few blocks away. I can put you up for the night, if you'd like. The owner owes me a favor anyway." he said finally. I shook his hand.

"Thank you so much! Really, this will mean more than you'll ever know." I said. The controller smiled.

"Of course. I want to give America a good impression on you, because if I don't, you might not find it so perfect. Be here tomorrow at eight. That's when the coastal train leaves. Actually, get here at seven. We'll need to get you acquainted with the engine, the people you'll be working with." he said. I nodded.

"I'll be here."

. . .

That night, I lay awake in the bed of my motel room. A motel was basically like a very tiny apartment room, with absolutely no fancy anythings. Just a bed, a shower, and a TV, more or less. My mind turned to Frieda.

How could I possibly sleep, knowing that she was on a ship somewhere, alone, and probably frightened out of her mind? She may not have even heard me tell her my plan.

Tears fell down my face as I realized that the last time I had actually _spoken_ to her, it was with anger. And over what? A stupid, pointless little hashing due to stressed nerves between the two of us.

"Frieda... I'm sorry..." I whispered through my tears. I envisioned her on the ship, all alone, with no one to tell her what was going on, or what would happen. Alone on a ship, thousands of miles away from anything she was familiar with. Not knowing if she'd ever see me again.

It must have been terrible...

The world was a very large area. The odds of the two of us finding each other again in an unknown country were slim. Especially since Frieda was bound to her rails.

I lay awake for hours, letting unpleasant thoughts of Frieda and my future run through my mind.

What would happen if I _couldn't_ find her? What would happen if I got to New York, and she wasn't there?

What would happen if I didn't make it to New York? Trains were mostly mechanical. They could break down. Who knows what kind of shape this engine I'd be going with was in. I knew next to nothing about American engines, except that most of them were big and powerful.

As I turned over, I told myself that everything would be fine, and I'd make it no matter what.

After all, how different could an American Steamer really be from what I was used to?

. . .

I woke up early the next morning, and yawned. I had barely slept. Mostly because I couldn't stop worrying about Frieda, but also partially because of the time difference between Sodor and... California, the controller had said? I stood, and stretched.

The Motel bed also hadn't been the comfiest thing in the world, but it was better than sleeping on the floor. I decided to skip the shower after seeing the state of the tub, and walked outside. The daylight was just beginning to make itself known. I walked to the edge of the parking lot, and looked around.

Most of the cars in the parking lot were quite different. Large trucks that barely fit into the parking spaces, large sedans with fancy looking words on them, and even a massive SUV. All of which were larger than what I was used to on Sodor. But there were some compact vehicles as well that were closer to what I was used to. I looked up at the horizon.

Several sky high buildings were in the distance, and an absolutely MASSIVE suspension bridge hung in the air, leading off over the ocean. It was gorgeous. There was also much noise. America was much, MUCH more different than I had imagined. It seemed much bigger, and busier than Sodor. I walked back inside, and glanced at the clock on the Motel room's wall.

It was six thirty. I decided to start heading towards the San Francisco train yard, where I would be meeting the engine I'd be spending the next 3,400 miles with.

. . .

When the American controller saw me, he smiled.

"Sleep well?" he asked. I rolled my eyes.

"_Hardly_. The time difference is bizarre, and I couldn't stop worrying about Frieda." I said quietly. The controller smiled.

"I've never been a Rider, but believe me when I say we will get the two of you reunited. You can count on that. The coast to coast Express is never late." he said. I sighed.

"I know, I know. Just worrying about what she might be going through right now. We didn't exactly part on good terms." I said. The controller nodded.

"I see. Well, sometimes all one needs to recover from an argument is a few days apart. It helps both parties realize how much they mean to each other." he said. I agreed, even thought I already knew how much Frieda meant to me.

"So, lets get you acquainted with your engine. She's outside, filling up with coal, water, and oil. She's an oil burning engine, so she runs pretty clean. But you'll still get plenty dirty. She's quite the smoker, after all. The big engine's always are." he said. I shrugged.

"That's okay with me. I don't mind a little hard, dirty work." I said. The controller smiled.

"Excellent! Follow me." he said, walking outside. I followed him into a train yard, where several diesels were milling about, rumbling loudly. They were much larger than the diesels on Sodor, even larger than Diesel 10!

"She's right over here." the controller said, walking around a parked box car. Even the freight cars in America were larger than the ones on Sodor. It seemed as if everything in America was bigger. I rounded the corner, and stopped, my jaw hanging open.

I knew that American engines were designed differently from the Sudrian engines,and much larger... but good lord...


	5. Chapter 5

The engine standing before me was... _barely_ describable. But a few words came to mind...

_Massive. Stunning. Streamlined._ Orange.

The engine was _much_ larger than Frieda, and had streamlined skirting on all sides. The front wheel guard flowed into the side skirting, and had a large, fist shaped coupler sticking out of it. The engine was a 4-8-4, with four small wheels, then eight massive drivers, with four small wheels behind. The tender was enormous as well. Bigger than Frieda's tender! It must have had _tons_ of coal, oil, and water in it.

But the _most_ noticeable thing about this engine was the paint job. Most of the boiler was black, but a large red stripe covered a little less than half of its side. The streamlined side skirts were a bright orange, with silver highlights along the edges. The front guard matched the side skirt color, the same bright orange. A large number _4449_ was painted in silver on the side of the all weather cab. The words "_SOUTHERN PACIFIC_" was painted on the tender's sides, on an orange stripe in between two red stripes. Near the downward curve of the side skirting, the word "_Daylight_" was written in fancy curvature.

This engine was quite possibly the most beautiful painted engine I had ever seen. She smiled at me, her face covered in makeup. Bright red lip gloss, thick eyelashes, piercing blue eyes, and thin, but nice looking eyebrows. She looked like a stuck up British woman, almost. She would certainly be a snooty engine, if she looked like that.

But I was instantly proved wrong.

"Hey! My name is Erika! Are you going to be part of my crew?" she asked brightly, smiling a kind smile. I flinched. Well _that_ was unexpected. Then I realized I had been breaking my own rule of being quick to judge based on appearances. Perhaps Erika just liked to look nice.

I slowly nodded.

"Y-Yeah, I am. Umm... my name is Anon." I stuttered. Erika pondered the name.

"Anon. That's a nice name! I picked Erika when I realized I hadn't been named yet. My sisters names all start with the same letter. Edith, Ella, and... Elena..." the large engine suddenly went quite. I sensed her sudden change in mood.

"Well, I like your name. Forgive my asking, but I'm not from this country. What in the world are you?" I asked. Erika perked up.

"I'm a Southern Pacific GS-4 Daylight engine! The premier passenger engine of the steam era!" she said proudly. I nodded.

"A Daylight. Hmm... the name matches your paintwork quite well. You're a beautifully painted engine." I said. Erika smiled.

"I know. I've been painted many different ways, black, Red White and Blue, and even had my streamlining removed, but I always look my best in orange and red! The true Daylight colors." she said. I nodded.

"I see. Well, I'm going to be your driver for this trip to New York. I actually need to get to New York as fast as possible, and I'm told you're the way to go." I said. Erika beamed.

"If you want to go by rail, then you're right. I can hit one hundred and ten miles per hour! I'm one of the fastest American steamers ever built." she said. I raised my eyebrows.

"And your modest too. I'm from England. Well, the Island of Sodor, actually. I came here with an engine... but she wasn't unloaded at our stop by mistake, and now she's going to be all the way in New York, with all of my belongings." I said. Erika looked shocked.

"That's _terrible_! How could they not know what to unload?" she asked. I sighed.

"We weren't planning on coming here, it was a rather sudden decision. She probably wasn't unloaded because... nobody here knew we were coming. An engine wasn't scheduled to be dropped here, so they didn't look for one." I said, realizing that Frieda's predicament was all my fault.

"It's my fault..." I whispered. Erika looked at me in sympathy.

"Anon... I've been through a lot in my life, and if there's one thing I've learned... it's that good can come from almost any situation. It can take a while sometimes. Years, even, but it's always possible." she said. I looked at her.

"But you're such a majestic engine! Surely you've stayed pretty your whole life." I asked. Erika laughed, so hard I thought she might blow something.

"Oh, you couldn't be _more_ wrong. I hate talking of my past. But, if you really want to know about it, go and read "_WANING DAYLIGHT BY THE RAGING BLUE FLAME_." she said. I nodded.

"I guess nobody's life can be perfect." I said. Erika sighed.

"Unfortunately not. But, if you're going to New York, I'm the way. We'll be leaving soon. Why don't you climb in, and get yourself familiar with my workings?" she suggested. I climbed into Erika's all weather cab, and looked around. It looked far more complicated than Frieda's layout. Hopefully I wouldn't need to actually use the controls, as long as Erika was able to.

Eventually, fifteen long passenger coach's were lined up behind Erika, each one matching her orange and red color scheme. She coupled up to them, and passengers began to board.

"I can't believe so many people are going across the country." I mused.

"Some of them just do it for the experience. Going across the USA in a train is an amazing experience, especially when pulled by a steamer. I think it reminds them of the older days, when steamers like me ruled the rails. Back in my youngest days, I pulled these very same cars from here in San Francisco to Los Angeles, every day." she said.

"I agree. I'd prefer to ride a train over a car or airplane any day." I said. Erika smiled at my words.

"It's reassuring to know that there are still those who love engines like me, even in these times. I used to think there weren't any."

. . .

At eight o' clock sharp, Erika blew her loud whistle, scaring me half to death, and her eight six foot drivers slowly moved her forwards, smoke erupting from her funnel. I watched with interest as all of the unfamiliar scenery slowly began to change. Erika moved slowly through the train yard, which seemed to go on for quite a while. Four tracks side by side, two going each way.

People lined the sides with cameras, phones, and video recorders. Erika blasted her whistle as she thundered past them, happy to be noticed.

"You've got quite the loud whistle, don't you?" I asked, wincing as it was blown again. Erika giggled.

"I don't know, I'm used to it!" she said, blowing it a third time as she went over a bridge. I looked down, and saw a massive roadway with several lanes of high moving cars and trucks whizzing past.

"What kind of road is that?!" I asked in awe. Erika looked down as some of the cars slowed a little to watch her go overhead.

"That's the Interstate. It's the fastest way to get across the country by car. Speeds from fifty to eighty miles per hour all the way. I've wondered sometimes what it would be like to be a car. And be able to wander off of my rails, and see things I'd otherwise never get to see. But, I wouldn't still be around if I was a car. They don't last as long as us trains do." she said. I looked silently out the window, occasionally checking Erika's pressure and levels. I didn't have to do quite as much, as her oil and water was fed into her boiler via a tender motor, instead of manual shoveling. All I really did was choose the correct levels for the oil, air, and water. Quite simple.

Erika chuffed along some of the most amazing scenery I'd ever seen in my life. High up into the hills, and along acres of fields, farms, and rivers. It was amazing to witness.

"So, you've never been to America before? What made you want to come?" Erika finally asked once she was out of the city, and into the country. She had opened up her throttle, and was cruising at a steady eighty miles per hour, her drivers whirring smoothly, and the passenger coaches trailing behind smoothly. Thick black and gray clouds of smoke fumed from her large funnel, creating a large trail of smoke over the rest of the train. I adjusted her mixture, trying to clear some of the smoke, and then answered.

"It's a really, _really_ long story. But, we've got three thousand miles to go, so I'll tell you." I said, taking a breath.

"I was the dock manager where I come from, a small Island on the edge of England. A few days after the Great Railway Show ended, a German Freighter had some engine problems, and had to dock. Two engines were on the ship, bound for Germany and Russia. The German engine, Frieda, was quite the salty one. She was grumpy, aggressive, and quite unpleasant as a whole. But, she was my favorite. I saw through her tough demeanor, and saw that she just wanted a friend. I tried to warm up to her, but she... she took some work." I said, looking out at the passing corn field.

"She lost her temper a few times, and after she knocked another engine off of the tracks intentionally, I finally confined her to a shed." I continued. I felt Erika shudder suddenly. I quickly stood up straight. "Whoa, what's wrong?! Is everything alright?" I asked, still unsure of how these larger locomotives worked. Erika forced a laugh.

"N-No, it's just me. I... I was just going through some... _painful_ memories. I was locked in a roundhouse for... a whole year. And then, I was put on display for seventeen years, out against mother nature. I was withering away, and even had parts stolen from me. It was... awful." she said, chuffing onwards. I stayed silent.

"I never thought about what it was like for Steamers back when diesels began to rise up. It must have been... terrible. For all of you. So many of you must have been scrapped, or put in museums for preservation. It's... it's not right! You are living things! Scrapping you because of newer models, or imprisoning you in a museum or shed. It's awful, and you know what... I've had it! This bastard Dennis Markov... he's not controller material. He does not care about his engines! He only cares about money, and he needs to fall! When I find Frieda, I'm... I'm taking her back to Sodor, and I'm going to throw Dennis out, one way or another! I will get the Sudrian engines _back_!" I said, slamming my fist down on Erika's side.

"Ow! Do you mind?!" she snapped. I blushed.

"Sorry. Just got caught up in the moment." I said.

"It's okay. It makes me beyond happy that some people see us as more than just machines. We are machines, but we have feelings, and live just as anyone else does. My sister, Ella... she's a GS-6 Daylight. My sister Edith... treated her so poorly. Always said she wasn't fit to be a Daylight, and would never replace Elena. I was the only one who was friendly towards her, and now... Ella sits in a museum in Missouri, rotting away. The forgotten Daylight. I'd give anything to see her again..." Erika said sadly. I patted Erika's side from the cab.

"What caused your sister Edith to treat her so poorly?" I asked. Erika sighed as she slowed for a bend.

"My sister Elena... she was another Daylight... she was killed in a wreck. I was there, as the secondary engine. I didn't go off of the rails, but she did. Ella arrived after Elena's death, and I think to Edith... she saw Ella as Elena's replacement. It didn't help that Ella was the last generation of Daylight, smaller, and not painted like us. Edith loved Elena more than I loved her, and... I think she thought Ella was just supposed to replace her, no questions asked." she explained. I nodded.

"I can't imagine what that is like. Humans aren't built, we're born. There can't be a replacement for a human life, and I agree somewhat with Edith, there can't be a replacement for an engine either. Each and everyone one of you are unique, even if some of you look similar. But that's no reason to be mean to someone who did nothing wrong." I said.

"I tried to convince Edith to be nice to Ella, but she never did. She made the young Daylight cry so many times. Ella clung to me, because I was always nice to her. I was kind of like her protector. But... even I couldn't protect her from the preservation society." Erika said.

The two of us were silent for a while, passing through miles of country, and going through the occasional town, more people at the ready with their cameras. Erika stopped in Carson City, Nevada for refueling, giving me a chance to stretch my legs. I got out, and saw that Erika's makeup was smeared.

She had been crying.

"Oh my god, Erika... I didn't mean to..." I said, feeling awful for making Erika relive her past, even though she said she didn't like talking about it. She forced a smile.

"It's okay, Anon. I don't like talking about it... but sometimes, it's nice to tell someone about yourself like that. It helps them understand you." she said. I looked at her sorrowfully.

"Can I at least reapply it? You look pretty without your makeup, but I'm sure you'd prefer to have it on." I said. Erika shuddered a breath, and looked at me.

"P-Please..." she said, as if she was trying to hold back a sob. I decided to stop talking all together as I went to get the makeup kit. Everything I said seemed to make the GS-4 sad, and a sad engine wasn't a really useful one.

I gently stood on Erika's footplate, and reapplied her lip gloss and eyeliner. She was silent while I did so. Something was clearly bothering her, but I didn't want to make her mood worse.

As oil and water was poured into her tender, some of the passengers got off to mill around a little.

"We leave in half an hour. It gives the passengers a chance to explore a little, and get some fresh air." Erika said. I nodded.

"Right. Is there anything you want to ask me?" I asked, sitting in front of her. The big orange engine thought.

"Would you finish telling me about how you and your engine arrived here?" she asked. I put my hands in my lap, and sighed.

"Sure. I left off at her being punished, right?" I asked. Erika nodded. "Right. So anyway, after I had her confined, the other engine, a Russian diesel named Ivan, explained to me why Frieda was so angry. Apparently, her controller in German was not a nice man. He hated her, and Steamers alike. Frieda almost never got a day off, and she never had a shed to stay in. She was treated like dirt. She even told me a few days ago that she was involved in an accident once, and her controller didn't even repair her before sending her out to continue work." I said. Erika frowned.

"I can't believe that. That's just... terrible!" she said. I nodded.

"I learned then to stop judging people and engines alike before knowing about them. I talked about her home with her, and then... I decided to buy her. The main controller was away, so I was in charge. I called Germany, and he was all to happy to sell her. Frieda and I had a little falling out before I could tell her, but afterwords, Frieda and I found that we had some feelings for each other." I said. Erika smiled.

"I know what that feels like. I..." she took a breath. "I was in love with my first driver, named Sam... for years. But... when I finally told him... it was too late. It was our last day together..." Erika said, beginning to cry, her freshly applied makeup running down her face.

"The day I was put into the roundhouse for a year... I told him. And he loved me back. All the years we were together, and we had loved each other, but been afraid to say anything. I fell asleep in the roundhouse with him... but when I woke up... he was gone..." she sobbed. I didn't know what to do.

I wasn't close enough to Erika to comfort her, or massage her. This was an engine I had just met hours ago, and she had already opened up to me so much, even though it clearly pained her to do so.

"I'm sorry, Erika. I didn't mean to... to bring up more memories." I whispered, patting her bumper. She sniffed, and tried to stop crying.

"It's... it's not your fault. I just wanted to learn about you. I didn't know so many things from your life... would remind me of my terrible life." she said. I looked up at her, and smiled.

"But look on the bright side. You've been through so much, and you're still here. You're still here in your gleaming colors, looking as beautiful as ever. You're the first engine I saw when I got here, and you better believe you left an impression on me. I will _definitely_ not forget you." I said. Erika smiled a little.

"It's been a while since I made a difference in someone's life." she said, blinking away her tears.

"You're going to make the difference in dozens of lives soon. Mine, Frieda's, and all of the engines that should be back on Sodor. Once I get back with Frieda, I'm going back, and giving Dennis the what for!" I said, putting my foot down. Erika smiled.

"_Yay_! Men like him need to be set in their place! For all us engines!" she said. I smirked.

"I don't know how I'll do it yet, but I'll get him off that Island." I said. Erika looked hopeful.

"I hope you succeed. For your sake, and the other engines." she said. Suddenly, a whistle blew, signaling that it was time to board the train.

"Time to go soon." I said. For the second time, I reapplied Erika's makeup, and then entered her cab. Five minutes later, her whistle sounded, and she began to chuff through Nevada, towards Utah, where I would be starting my first night on the coast to coast train.

. . .

Once the Utah border was reached, the train briefly stopped to top off water, and for a crew switch. I entered the crew sleeper at the rear of the train, and sat in my quarters. It was not as fancy as the passenger sleeper, but it would do just fine. I washed my face, and looked in the mirror. I didn't feel it, but I looked worn out, if the bags under my eyes were anything to go by. I lay on my bed, and looked out the window, watching the flat, orange wasteland fly past. The area I was in almost looked like a desert or something. Just flat, with the occasional patch of grass. Large hills and rocks would occasionally go by.

I leaned back against my bed, and turned my thoughts to Frieda. By this point, she would be nearing New York. If what the American controller had said, she would be kept there for a few days before I would reach her. I hoped she would be alright, but I felt a little better, knowing that every second, I was getting closer to her.

Then I turned my thoughts to Erika, the GS-4 Daylight. I had no idea such an engine existed. Streamlined like Frieda, but in a different way. Larger, more powerful, and beautiful. I never really liked engines that wore makeup, but Erika was an exception. She was very kind, fun loving, and funny. How she could be like that after everything she's been through... I had no idea.

It just went to prove my point again. You can't judge someone based on how they look or act. If you know nothing about them, you can't accurately judge them. Frieda had a hard life, and was grumpy because of it. Erika had an awful life... yet she was happy. At least now, as Frieda was.

I couldn't help but wonder what all Steamers went through back in the fifties, when dieselization began. It must have been awful for all of them. But on Sodor, steamers never went off duty. They had always been used, regardless of the era. Until now.

I frowned, and turned my thoughts to Dennis. The man of the modern era. Profit seeking, greed ridden, and cruel. Not caring for anyone but himself.

The Sudrian engines didn't deserve to be treated like this, and I wasn't going to stand for it. When Frieda and I got back to Sodor, there was going to be hell for Dennis to pay. I was going to get him off that island, and return it to its former glory. I would take the position of controller myself, if I had to. Had I still been the dock manager, I would have gone to that position anyway, and were prepared to do so. I cared about all the engines, and knew that they were living things.

They deserved to be happy, and they would be once again, once I ended the raid of Dennis. I would get the Steamers back on Sodor.

No matter what.


	6. Chapter 6

Frieda stared off into the horizon. She had been left on the freighter... _alone_. She didn't know why she hadn't been unloaded with Anon, but she wasn't, and now... she might never see him again.

Frieda began to cry at the thought of never seeing her Rider and lover again. The one who had taken the time to understand her, and get to really know her.

And now... he wasn't here.

The thought that the last time she saw him, she gave him an awful petty insult just because she was in a bad mood made her cry all the harder.

"I am such a avful engine! I alvays let my grumpiness ruin my life, und others lives!" she wailed on top of the ship. The gentle rocking of the freighter did little to relax her, as tears continued to stream down her face.

As Frieda whimpered quietly to herself, one of the men on the ship walked up to her.

"What's got you in a tizzy?" he asked, sitting on a crate in front of her. Frieda looked at him, and then began crying all over again.

"I haf lost my love, und I vill probably not see him again! Und ze last time I spoke to him, I insulted him for no reason!" she wailed. The man wasn't really expecting that, but he listened non the less.

"I see. Was he dropped of at the last stop?" he asked. Frieda nodded, her lip quivering. The man smiled.

"Then there's hope. We're stopping at New York next. It's on the opposite side of the country, but it's still the same country. Maybe the two of you can find each other again." he said. Frieda didn't feel much better.

"How many miles eez it to vere he vas dropped off from... New York?" she asked. The man scratched his head.

"About three thousand miles, I think. Something like that. Maybe a little more." he said. Frieda looked down at the floor of the ship sadly.

"Non, zat eez to far. He vill never find me, and he probably von't efen look. Not after vat I said to him." she whispered, closing her eyes as more tears began to trickle out of them. The man folded his hands.

"What did you say to him?" he asked. Frieda took a shaky breath.

"He eez ze nicest man I haf efer met. He vaz ze first to care about me, und try und get to know me. He gave me a chance, und zen another. He has alvays been zer fohr me, und efen gave me a home right next to heez. Und I vent... und called him _useless_! All because of my bad mood!" Frieda said, shaking as she tried to cry more.

But her boiler had run dry. She had no more tears to cry.

The workman stood.

"If he _really_ loves you _that_ much, I think he'll do anything he can to find you. He'll certainly forgive you for your words. I'm sure he knows you were just in a bad mood." he said kindly. Frieda sniffed.

"He means so much to me. More zen I haf ever let on. I... could barely efen bring myself to say I loved him een English. It vas hard fohr me to show how much I really loved heem. I am not used to being loved yet. But... eef I lose heem... I might as vell be scrapped. I von't live a life vorth living vithout heem." she said. The man walked up to her, and looked directly into her eyes.

"_When_ you find him... tell him. I'm sure he wants to know how much you really love him. If he loves you half as much as you've told me... he might feel a bit one sided between the two of you. Show him how much you love him." he said. Frieda took a breath.

"I vill. I vill tell him eferything. I cannot imagine my life vithout heem now. He has made my life so much better." she said. The man looked at his watch.

"I have to get back to work, Miss. But don't forget my advice. Tell him the moment you see him. We'll unload you in New York, and the two of you will find your way back to each other. I'm sure of it. My name is Brad, by the way." he said.

"Frieda." Frieda said quietly. The man smiled, and then walked around the corner of the ship. Frieda watched the spot where the man just stood, and then looked up at the sun.

"I vill find you Anon. I _must_." she said.

. . .

Two days went by, and Frieda's mood did not improve much. She kept Brad's words in her head.

"The two of you will find your way back to each other. I'm sure of it."

Frieda hoped he was right. She had barely slept the past two nights. The fears of losing Anon was her nightmare, both while she was awake, and when she was asleep.

She gazed off in the distance, and saw a land mass.

New York.

Her mood improved slightly at the thought of being able to be on land. Of being on connected ground with him, even if he was thousands of miles away.

As the ship neared, Frieda's jaw opened at the sight of the Statue of Liberty. To Frieda, it almost felt like the statue was speaking to her. A strong pose, holding the flaming torch high in the air, against all the bad things.

As if saying "Bring it on, I will get through it, and keep on going."

Frieda steeled herself at the thought, and felt determined. Surely things looked up from here. A different man approached her.

"We'll be unloading you here. I apologize for missing you in San Francisco." he said. Frieda smiled a little.

"Vill you thank Brad fohr me? He really helped my mood." she asked. The man scratched his head.

"There isn't anyone named Brad aboard this ship. Not even anyone with a similar name." he said. Frieda looked confused.

"But... he talked vith me, und helped me feel better. He vas vearing a vite shirt, vith vite pants." she said. The man shrugged.

"All my crew wear overalls, and colored shirts. I think you might have been seeing things." he said, before walking off, leaving Frieda more confused than before.

. . .

Once the ship docked, Frieda was unloaded, along with her tender and the sleeper coach that contained Anon's belongings.

Once she had been coupled, a man walked over to her.

"Are you Frieda, the German DB Class 10 that was supposed to be unloaded in San Francisco?" he asked. Frieda's eyes widened.

"Ja. Ja, zat eez me! How did you know?" she asked, her hope rising. The man smiled.

"San Francisco called us, and told us to hold you here when you arrived. Your driver is on his way as we speak. He's taking the Daylight Express, a high speed passenger train all the way. Actually, he's the engine's driver for the trip. I hope he'll be alright with Erika." the man said.

Frieda twitched at the mention of the female name.

"_Erika_? Who eez zat?" she asked. The man smiled.

"She's the engine he's driving. A Southern Pacific Daylight GS-4. One of the fastest, most _beautiful_ steamers ever built. The Queen of Steam. She pulls the coast to coast Daylight Express once a year, and it just happened to leave yesterday. Your driver is heading this way at about ninety miles per hour as we speak." the man replied. Frieda felt happy, but also a little bitter.

"Zis... _Daylight_... vat does she look like?" she asked. The man thought.

"Well, she's a _massive_ engine. A 4-8-4 with a large tender. She's got six foot drivers, streamlined skirting, and is painted a beautiful red, black, and orange. Black wheels, and has the word "Daylight" written on the side, along with "Southern Pacific" on her tender. Why?" he asked. Frieda looked annoyed.

"Vould you say she eez more pretty zen me?" she asked. The man suddenly smiled.

"Ah, I see. You think your driver might like her better than you. I doubt that. From what the San Francisco controller told me, he's absolutely _hellbent_ on finding you. I don't think he'll be to involved with Erika. She just happened to be the only way for him to get over here. In fact, he should be here in about three days. He requested you stay here until he arrives, so he knows right where to find you. He's worried sick." the man said. Frieda felt better.

"I see. Who are you?" she asked.

"I'm the port manager. I run the docks." he said. Frieda nodded.

"Vile I do not find ze idea of staying here pleasant... eef zat eez vat Anon vants... I vill vait for heem. I vant to see zis... _Erika_ fohr myself." she said.

With that, Frieda was lead to a shed, where she was finally able to get a few hours of sleep.

* * *

Just in case it wasn't clear, Brad was kind of supposed to be an angel, or something similar. Someone sent to put Frieda at ease.


	7. Chapter 7

Things hadn't gone as planned along the Daylight Express route. Erika had been forced to take a detour through Missouri a few hundred miles back because of a destroyed mainline bridge. She wasn't in a good mood, because now she would definitely be late.

"I'm a Daylight! I don't _do_ late!" she complained, chuffing through the countryside. I leaned back in her cab, and sighed. She had been complaining for the past half an hour now, and it was starting to get old. I had tuned her out a while ago, but she didn't seem to notice.

"Aren't you stopping in St. Louis for oil and water?" I asked, interrupting her rant.

"Yeah? I guess so." she said. I leaned forward.

"Didn't you say your sister Ella was in a museum in St. Louis?" I asked. Erika nodded.

"Yeah... I really wish I wasn't a train sometimes. If I wasn't, I could go and see her. But I am bound by my rails." she said, sighing. I smiled.

"But _I'm_ not. St. Louis radioed in a while back and told me we might have to stay in there for a few hours. Apparently there's a pretty bad storm heading our way. We might have to wait it out for safety. If that happens... maybe I'll go pay Ella a visit. I'm getting an idea." I said. Erika grew curious, naturally.

"What idea?" she asked.

"Well, if I succeed in throwing Dennis out once we get back, I'll be in charge of the railway. And I happen to know that engines are always welcome. Sodor is getting more popular all the time, and I think they need one or two engines who can pull Express trains from the far side of Sodor to the far side of the mainland. Suppose.. theoretically... I call this museum... and say I'm looking for a passenger engine. Black and silver... maybe female... been sitting for a while, looking to be restored..." I trailed off. Erika finally caught on.

"You would buy Ella?!" she asked loudly, jerking the train a little bit. I steadied myself at the sudden motion.

"Hey, steady!" I said. Erika blushed, and straightened herself out. "But... yes, I might look into Ella if I regain control. From what you've told me, she's just another engine who didn't deserve to be put in a museum. She should be out running, with you." I said. Erika felt happy for her sister.

"Oh _please_ rescue her! Oh please, it would... literally save her life! Practically the whole time she was running, Edith was after her! She'd love to work where she's appreciated." she babbled, suddenly forgetting all about being late. I shrugged.

"I can only look into it if the storm comes. I won't have enough time otherwise." I said.

. . .

The storm _did_ come, loud and hard. Erika had pulled into St. Louis half an hour ago, and we were both informed there would be a four hour delay because of the massive storm system. Erika was not pleased, until she remembered what I was going to do. Once she was parked, I climbed out, and, after asking for several directions, slowly made my way to the Museum of Transportation. A great little thing called Uber allowed me to get there. Basically a taxi, except I'm just riding with someone in their own car, and I don't even have to pay! They get paid by the hour, and tips are optional.

After a while, I stood in front of the massive building, umbrella guarding me from the rain, and suddenly realized I didn't even have to go inside. At the side of the parking lot, I saw a large steamer that looked awfully similar to Erika sitting under an awning. Except it was black, and looked as if it had seen better days. The number "4460" was faded on its cab, and the engine looked quite sad. The parking lot was empty, so I walked up to her.

"Ella?" I asked. The engine suddenly perked up, and looked at me.

"Y-Yeah? Who are you?" she asked, a tired look in her beautiful blue eyes. Unlike Erika, she wore no makeup. She still looked pretty though.

"Ella the GS-6 Daylight. I've heard a lot about you. I've been told you've been here for far to long." I said, inspecting her condition. A restoration would definitely be needed. Her paint was faded, parts were rusting, and some things were even missing.

"How do you know about me?" she asked.

"That's the million dollar question, isn't it? You see, I'm running from San Francisco to New York currently, but I'm from a small Island just off the mainland of England called Sodor. I was forced to come here, along with my engine, who was mistakenly not unloaded with me. She's in New York by now, and I have to get to her. I had no money, but the San Francisco rail controller told me if I drove the Express engine, I could go for free. The Express engine is someone you might know, and probably haven't seen in far to long. Does the name _Erika_ ring a bell?" I asked.

Ella's entire face seemed to light up in shock.

"E-Erika?! She's still running?!" she asked. I nodded.

"From what I'm told, she's the only Daylight left besides you. I'd like to change that. I'm aware that you're a smaller version of Daylight, and considered less beautiful, but tell me... if all goes right with me over the next week or two, would you like to come to Sodor, be restored, and have your own Express line?" I asked.

Ella's eyes were so wide, they nearly popped from her face. Her mouth parted, but no words came out.

"Y-Y-You're... serious?" she whispered. I patted her wheel guard.

"I am. Erika misses you, you know. She told me all about you. I'm sorry to hear that you were treated so poorly by Edith." you said. Ella's face flinched at the mere name.

"I... I've tried to forget... about her." she said, looking sad. "But Erika is really running? And she's here, right now?" she asked. I nodded.

"We've had to stop because there's a large storm coming. It should miss us mostly, just the heavy rain we're getting now hitting here. But I mean it, Ella. I hate the thought of engine's being kept up instead of being used. You all have lives, and it makes me angry when I realize how many steamers are just rotting in a museum." I said. Tears started to fall down Ella's face.

"W-Why me... of all engines?" she asked softly. I smiled gently.

"Because... you have a sister who misses you, and from what I'm told, neither of you have lived very nice lives. I'd like to change that. I'll buy you, and bring you to Sodor. I'll fix you up, and even paint you red and orange. If I can... I'll buy Erika too. The two of you should be together again." I said.

Ella looked at me with a... a very hard to describe expression.

"R-Red and... orange? Not... black?" she asked slowly. I nodded.

"Erika told me you always felt like a lesser engine, because you were smaller, and never painted like the other Daylights. You do look nice in black, but I think you'd look wonderful in the true Daylight colors." I said.

Ella began to sob loudly, some loose rust falling off of her as she shook.

"I... I can't believe it! After so long... I thought I'd die here! I've been sitting in this very spot for nearly sixty years! I don't even know what the scenery behind me looks like! I've looked at the same things in front of me, watching the world change before me! I'm... I'm the _Forgotten Daylight_!" she sobbed. I placed a hand to her.

"Not anymore. I'm going to talk with the museum owner. If they are truly a train fan, or any fan of the past, they'll let me buy you. It's a crime to have an engine like you rotting here." I said. Ella continued to cry, but she tried to smile.

"T-T-Thank you!" she said, barely able to breath through her sobs. I walked into the museum entrance, checking my watch to make sure I had enough time, which I did. Erika wasn't due to leave for another two hours.

. . .

Negotiations between myself and the museum owner had been tough, be they had finally agreed that if I obtained the position of controller back home, they would sell Ella to me. I had told her, and Ella broke down all over again.

"I... I don't know what I can possibly say! I... I never thought anyone would bother with me! I've been sitting for far to long!" she said. I chuckled.

"Anything is possible." I said. Ella was silent for a moment, before she took a breath.

"Can you scratch my nose? I've had an itch for a little while now." she suddenly asked.

Not seeing the problem with her request, I gently climbed her wheel guard, and found myself face to face with Ella. As I reached her nose to scratch it, she suddenly pressed her lips into mine. I was taken completely off guard. Once Ella's lovely lips let me go, I stumbled back off of her bumper, and fell onto the ground.

It hurt.

"Wh... what..." I stuttered, looking at her in surprise. Ella blushed.

"I had to thank you in some way..." she said bashfully. I quickly stood.

"_I'm already in a relationship_!" I blurted. Ella looked surprised.

"Oh! Oh... shoot. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you feel awkward." she said, looking sad. I sighed.

"Look, it's alright. I understand. Just... don't do it again. I've only been away from my engine for a few days, and I'd like to stay focused on her all I can." I said, checking my watch. It was time to head back to the train yard where Erika was residing.

"I have to go. But just think Ella, within two weeks... you'll be out of here. On a ship, on Sodor, and soon enough... on the rails again." I said. Ella looked ecstatic.

"I can't wait! Oh my, thank you Sir. Thank you so _so_ much!" she said, tears in her eyes. I nodded.

"Of course. Shall I tell Erika anything from you?" I asked. Ella smiled.

"Please tell her I love her, and I miss her. I hope to see her again." she said. I nodded.

"Will do. See you soon, Ella." I said, making your way back to the train yard.

. . .

Of course, when I told Erika the news of not only saving Ella, but possibly buying _her_ to go to Sodor _with_ Ella, Erika nearly exploded. Well, she did, actually. Blew the cover right off one of her piston boxes. She was almost late getting going because of the repair. But soon enough, the storm ahead had passed, and she was clear to chuff on.

She was now making her way through Illinois and I was in the sleeper car, my shift with Erika over for the day. I sat against the wall, watching the city scape go past. I once again turned my thoughts to Frieda.

I hoped she wouldn't be mad when I told her that I had plans to bring two new Express engine's to Sodor. Two beautiful _female_ Express engines. I shuddered.

Frieda probably wouldn't be happy about it. What girl would, knowing that while I was away, I met two new, beautiful females? Frieda tended to get quite annoyed over the small things.

I scowled as I remembered what Frieda had said to me on the ship.

"Vhy don't you make yourself useful for vonce, und clean zis off?! You useless man!"

I shuddered at the memory of her sentence. Why would she say something like that to me? I knew she loved me, but I didn't really know how much. Between barely being able to say "I love you" in English, and the actual amount of times she did any sort of loving action towards me, most wouldn't even assume I was in a relationship with her. But I knew better. I knew she loved me, and probably didn't mean what she had said.

But that didn't make it hurt any less.

Hopefully Frieda wouldn't be to angry with me once I brought up Ella and Erika, and if she was, I could hopefully cheer her up by telling her my plans of taking her back to Sodor, and getting rid of Dennis.

But that rose more questions I had to ask myself.

Just _how_ was I going to get rid of Dennis? It's not like I could just show up and say "Get Out" and he'd listen.

No, I'd have to find a way to make him _want_ to leave, or make a deal with him. But what?

I thought about what Sodor must be like now. Thomas and the rest of the Steamers were back in their originating countries by now. Thomas, Gordon, Henry, Edward, James, Rebecca, and more would be on the mainland. Emily would be back in Scotland along with Donald and Douglas. Nia would be back in Africa, which wasn't good, because she didn't have a home there. And Rosie would be in America by now, although the likelihood of coming across her was one to none. America was a big country.

Once I somehow got Dennis to leave, there would be several dozen phone calls to make. I would get every single Sudrian engine back, no matter what. It was their home, and that was the right thing to do.

But first, I needed to figure out a way to make Dennis leave.

Suddenly, the thought of The Great Railway Show came to mind. Frieda had been there competing in... the strength competition. It wasn't something she was great at, since she was a passenger engine, instead of a freight engine.

I quickly leaned forward, a brilliant idea in my mind.

Men like Dennis loved money. What if... _what if_...

What if I could make some sort of bet with him? An engine related bet? Like some sort of competition between a steamer and a diesel, to prove which one was better. If I won, he would resign from his position, and leave Sodor. And if he won...

Then Frieda and I would leave Sodor forever, and never bother him again.


	8. Chapter 8

When I started my shift the next day, Erika had just entered Ohio. I climbed into her cab, the new thought of how to get Dennis to leave still on my mind.

Once all the crew had switched fully, Erika blew her whistle, and the train continued on its way. At this point, Erika could have been a week late, and she still would have been happy. Ever since I told her my plan to rescue Ella, she hadn't stopped smiling. I was glad she hopefully wouldn't have to think about her imprisoned sister much longer.

I decided to bring up my idea to her as she chuffed along.

"Hey Erika, what do you think of this? I'm trying to figure out how I can get Dennis to leave Sodor, because I obviously can't just tell him to. And I thought maybe I could lure him into a competition or something of the sort. He obviously likes diesels, and I was thinking of a challenge of something between a steamer of my choice, and one of his diesels. I originally thought of a test of strength, or something like that, but I don't have a steamer that could compete with a large diesel. Frieda's designed for speed, so she wouldn't be quite up to par. If it wasn't for that fact, I think that plan would work." I said.

"It sounds like a good plan, but I can only think of a few steamers who could without a doubt out-pull a diesel." she said. Suddenly, Erika smiled. "_W-Wait_! Actually, we might see one soon! At the yard we stop at in Ohio! There's a _very_ special experimental steamer who works there! Well, she doesn't actually work there _officially_, that's just where she stays. She isn't owned by anyone, because her design doesn't really let her get around much under her own power. She's one of the slowest steamers ever built, but she could out-pull almost anything! I think if you ask her, she'd do it!" Erika said.

Naturally, I grew curious.

"What kind of steamer could possibly be that strong?" I asked. Erika thought.

"Umm... I think she's called a Triplex, or something like that? She was built by Baldwin Locomotive Works, and she was originally supposed to be scrapped, but she escaped, and they didn't really care enough to look for her. I talk with her every time I go on this route. She never really leaves the area, because she's so slow. She can't really go over ten miles per hour." she said. I raised an eyebrow.

"A Triplex? What kind of engine is that?" you asked.

"Well, she's a steamer, but she's... _massive_. Like, almost twice as big as I am. She has _three_ sets of drivers, a 2-8-8-8-2, and she's basically two steamers built as one. Her flaw was that if she went over ten miles per hour, she'd start using more steam than her firebox could provide, and run out. Six wheel pistons took more steam than her firebox could make. That's why she wasn't really successful when she was built. Her name is Audrey. She's very friendly, and will definitely help if you ask her. I know she gets bored with the small amount of work she gets here. She usually just helps the long freight trains get moving from a stop. Raw low speed strength is all she's good at." Erika replied.

I nodded. If what Erika said was true... Audrey would be _perfect_.

"Fantastic! If I can get Audrey to Sodor, she'll win a competition of strength for sure! Now if only we could figure out how to get her to a dock. If she's that slow, it would take her months to travel that far." I said, feeling defeated again.

"Well, we could put her at the rear of the train in neutral, and pull her behind the passenger coaches. I'm strong enough to pull her. I've pulled thirty coaches up a hill before!" Erika said. My smile widened.

"Would you really do that for me, Erika?" I asked. Erika nodded.

"Of course. If it helps my sister get back onto the rails, I'd do anything."

. . .

Once Erika arrived at the next refueling point, she looked around.

"I don't see her. Maybe she's..." Erika stopped as a huge cloud of smoke began shooting into the air from behind a building nearby. "Wait, that's her! Audrey! _AUDREY_!" Erika screeched. A deep whistle rang out, and then a steam engine came out from behind the building.

And kept on coming.

Seriously, this was the largest steam locomotive I'd ever seen!

"Good god..." I breathed as the massive engine came to a stop near Erika. As she said, the engine had three sets of large drivers, and a tender that looked built onto the engine's chassis. A large funnel was at the back, behind the tender, and there was also a funnel at the front of the boiler, where it's usually found. Each set of drivers had eight wheels, and massive piston rod assemblies. The engine was black and gray, and had the word "AUDREY" written in gold on the tender. A set of buffers stuck out several feet in front of the engine. She smiled kindly at us.

"Hello Erika. How have you been?" she asked calmly. Her tone sounded older, and motherly. Erika was practically bouncing on her wheels.

"I'm great! My sister is going to finally get out of the museum!" she said. I climbed out of Erika's cab, and approached the large Triplex.

"_If_ we can get your help." I added. Audrey looked down at me. "My name is Anon. Erika tells me your quite the strong locomotive." I said. Audrey blushed.

"Well, I wouldn't say that... okay, fine, I would. It's literally the only thing I'm good at." she said, laughing. I chuckled, and looked closer at Audrey's design.

"Amazing. I never knew an engine like you existed." I said.

"I'm the only one. I don't do much, except help with big trains. I'm kind of useless, but I try." she said.

"Would you like to make a big difference in a lot of engines lives?" I asked. I explained my plan to her. When I was finished, Audrey smiled.

"I can out-pull any diesel, any day, as long as it's a low speed competition. I'd love to help you Anon, but how do I get to the docks? They're hundreds of miles away, and I'm to slow to get to any of them in time." she said sadly. I looked to Erika.

"We could couple you to the rear of Erika's train, and have her pull you to New York. That's where my engine and I will be going back. You could go with us, or take the next ship, if you're to large to fit with another engine and coach." I suggested. Audrey looked to Erika.

"Do you really think you can pull me, plus all those coaches? I'm a _very_ heavy engine." she asked. Erika smiled.

"Of course! I have over five thousand horsepower! I'll pull you easily!" she said. Audrey seemed satisfied. She made her way to an extremely large turn-table, and spun around, facing the same direction as Erika, and then slowly coupled the the rear of Erika's train, behind the sleeper car. I walked back to make sure she was coupled properly.

"Keep your fire going, please. While we can pull you in neutral, it might come in handy to have you, should something unexpected happen, like an extremely steep grade that Erika can't climb herself." I said. Audrey smiled.

"Wise man. It never hurts to be prepared. Maybe at the end of your shift tonight, you can talk with me a little? Since you're staying in the car in front of me anyway. It's been a while since I've had someone new to talk with. I never really leave this yard. Maybe tell me about this Frieda that we're getting you to?" she asked. I smiled.

"Of course, I'd be happy to. I'd never turn down an opportunity to talk with a new friend." I said, before walking back to Erika, who had been fully fueled.

"We're all ready, Audrey is coupled and rolling freely." I said. Erika blew her whistle, and slowly chuffed forwards. It seemed to take her quite a bit more effort, but she was still able to get her now much heavier load moving.

And with that, Erika, myself, and Audrey were on our way once again to New York!

. . .

That night, I was sitting at the end of the sleeper car, with the door open so I could talk to Audrey.

"So tell me a little about yourself Anon. Why are you here? You told me about your plan to get your home back, but you didn't tell me how you lost it. Would you mind? It would help me know what I'm working for." she said. I sighed.

"In a nutshell, Sodor was fine, until it's original Controller died about a week ago, a little more, actually. My engine, her name is Frieda, she's from Germany. She showed up on Sodor because of a faulty freighter, and was all bent out of shape. Scaring others, and even damaging another engine. I was mad at her, until I learned why she was like that. Apparently, her Controller in Germany is quite a cruel man. He hated her, and never treated her with any care or respect. As Frieda and I got to know each other, we discovered feelings for each other, and I bought her from Germany, so she could live a happy life with me, and the other engines." I paused, so Audrey could file away everything she'd just learned. Then, I continued.

"As cruel fate would have it... the Controller that replaced ours was Frieda's old one, from Germany. He got rid of all the steamers on Sodor, and sent them back to the mainland. He said he was going to replace them all with diesels, and bring Sodor up to speed with the rest of the world. It's really my fault. I was the dock manager on Sodor, and next in line to take over the railway. But... because I wanted to spend more time with Frieda... I quit, and transferred over to be Frieda's caretaker. If I hadn't... we wouldn't be in this predicament now, and everyone would be happier." I said, hanging my head low.

Audrey smiled.

"But if you didn't come here, you wouldn't be helping Ella, Erika, or myself. In your coming here, you've made three more engines happy. While I understand how you're feeling, you'll get your home back, and more. All of the original engines will come back, with you as the new Controller, and you'll have two, maybe three new engines on the Island that are beyond grateful for the change. I'm sure Ella is excited that she'll be moving again after sixty years, and I know I'm happy that I can actually do something in a new place." she said.

While her words took a moment for me to understand, they did actually help me feel better.

"So, what you're saying is that if we get through this hardship, everyone, plus some new engines, will be happier than before?" I asked. Audrey nodded as the sleeper car rocked back and forth, the open door swaying slightly.

"Exactly. What has happened is going to be for the better, if you succeed. Which I believe you will, with my help. Your idea of betting a competition of strength between me and a diesel is a good one. There aren't many single diesels out there who have pulled, by themselves, anything close to what I have pulled alone." she said. I perked up.

"Just think Audrey. You've felt like you couldn't do much for so long, and now, you're going to make a bigger difference than you'll ever know. Dozens of engines will get their lives back, all thanks to you." I said, standing carefully as to not stumble out of the moving sleeper. Audrey smiled contently.

"I've never made such a big difference before, and I never thought I would. I'm forever in your debt Anon. Even if this doesn't work for some reason, you've given me something to be excited about. I haven't had something to be excited about since... well, ever. It means very much to me." she said.

"I'm glad, Audrey. Every engine has a use, and I think you just haven't discovered yours yet. Hopefully on Sodor, you can find it. Well, I'm going to get some shut eye now. Good night." I said. Audrey bid me good night, and I closed the end door, sealing the coach in silence once again.

. . _**.**_

_**(Frieda in New York Third Person POV)**_

"We've had an update on your Rider. He's passing through Ohio currently, and should be here in the next day or two. Apparently, a few things have happened. St. Louis called, and said he has a plan to get your home back, and bring at least one, possibly two new engines in afterwards. The yard they stopped at in Ohio just called, and said he's pulling another engine with him now, which will also be staying on Sodor if his plan works. Apparently, this engine has something to do with his plan to get your home back. I've been told she's quite a different type of engine. I don't know what he's up to, but it sounds like your Rider knows what he's doing." the dock manager told Frieda.

"Another _girl_? Vhy must efery engine Anon apparently meets be a girl?" Frieda asked. The dock manager smiled.

"I'm sure it just turned out that way. It's not like they're passing many other engines on the way here. It's mostly a passenger line. I trust that he's still concerned with you, with as much planning as he's apparently been doing." he said. Frieda didn't feel much better, but she knew Anon loved her to much to forget about her.

She smiled, and thanked the manager.

"Well, I vill be here vaiting fohr him von vay or another. I do not know vat heez plan vill be, or how he thinks ve can get Sodor back, but I hope eet vill vork." she said, backing into her shed.

Frieda had been a little bored, so she had offered to help out at the docks. The manager was happy to have the extra help, and had let her move some of the larger freight cars around to their specified areas. While Frieda didn't enjoy freight work as much as pulling passengers, it was better than sitting in a shed, her mind wondering where Anon was currently all day.

As she closed her eyes, and waited for sleep to come, she thought about him.

"Ven you get here Anon, I vill tell you how much I really love you. I know you love me to much fohr you to go after another, but I still wonder... vat do you really need so many female engines fohr?" she said to herself, before sleep embraced her.


	9. Chapter 9

When I woke up the next morning, it took me a moment to remember where I was. I had been dreaming of a peaceful day on Sodor, and the gentle shaking of the sleeper car had confused me briefly. I sat up in the small bed, and looked out the window. The sun was just beginning to lighten up the sky, so it must have been around six thirty in the morning. I stood, and stretched.

Putting on the same clothes I had been wearing all week, I walked into the sleeper hall, and looked out the window of the back door. Audrey was still sleeping, wobbling side to side as she was towed behind the train. I wondered what it felt like to be moving while she was asleep. Must have been an odd sensation for an engine. I pulled out my radio, and told the other driver that I was awake.

Erika was eventually stopped in a siding so I could make my way up to her. As I reached her, the early morning sun hit her red and orange Daylight scheme, and seemed to make it glow.

"Wow. A Daylight looks its best at the break of Daylight. Who would have guessed?" I said cheekily. Erika blushed, and rolled her eyes.

"Gee, I haven't heard _that_ one before. But thank you, it's still nice to hear." she said, steam escaping her valves. I climbed aboard, and after regaining my bearings, Erika started on her way again. As she picked up speed, I poked my head out her window.

"So, where are we now?" I asked.

"We just passed the New York border about an hour ago. We'll arrive at the docks later this evening. The speed limits slow soon, or else we'd be there by noon. Either way, you'll hopefully get to see your engine today. I'd like to see her too. As much as you've talked about her, I'd like to meet her. I hope she likes me." Erika replied. I gripped Erika's cab handle.

"TODAY!? Finally! Oh _god_, I can't wait! I hope Frieda is there waiting for me. I don't think I could bear going all this way, just for her not to be there. I don't know _what_ I'd do if she wasn't." I said, imaging myself reunited with my beloved blue DB Class 10 in my mind. Then, I pictured Erika with the two of us, as well as Audrey. I cringed a little, realizing that I would be showing up with two female engines Frieda had never met before.

Might look a _little_ suspicious to her.

"I hope she understands why I'm arriving with both you and Audrey. I'd hate for her to get the wrong idea." I said. Erika giggled.

"I'm sure if she doesn't believe you, Audrey and I can convince her. Audrey has a way with words that calm others. She's a very wise engine. I'll tell Frieda myself that you clearly had no intention of anything other than helping others. Not just her, but Ella and Audrey too." she said. I relaxed a little.

"Thanks Erika. I appreciate it. While Frieda does love me, she's a little... quick to jump to conclusions." I said, remembering her reaction to seeing Caitlin and I getting along back on Sodor. I shivered.

The incident that almost destroyed her. She wouldn't do that again, seeing me with not one, but two females... would she?

"Umm... actually Erika... maybe I should get off at the last station, and find her alone before she meets you. I'd like to explain the two of you before she sees either of you. The last time she saw me getting along with a female engine a little to well... it almost killed her. Literally. And that was before we confessed to each other. I think... I think it best for me to find her myself first." I said. Erika seemed to understand.

"If that's what you want to do. Just as long as I get to meet her!" she chirped, increasing her speed a little for an upcoming hill. I looked back towards the end of the train as Erika began to climb the hill. As the grade increased, suddenly there was a loud _BANG_!

I jumped at the sudden noise, and there was a thud as Erika came to an abrupt stop, crying out in pain.

"_Ahhhhhhhhhhh!_" she screamed. She stopped half way up the hill, bursting into tears. I quickly jumped out, and went to her front. Erika had tears streaming down her face, and looked to be in a lot of pain.

"_What_?! What happened? What's wrong?!" I asked.

"I don't know, but it _hurts_! So much!" she sobbed, tears running down her face like a waterfall. I looked her over, and couldn't find anything wrong that I could see. Until I did see it. A large outward rip at the top, steam rushing out of it.

Erika had blown her boiler.

"E-Erika, hold on!" I said, frantically radioing the other crew members, including the sleeping ones. Erika had an open wound, and that was an emergency. All the others came quickly, one with a portable welder.

I went to Erika's front, and climbed into her bumper, hoping to make her feel better. As she continued to cry, I put a hand to her face.

"Erika! Erika, it's alright. You'll be better soon. Don't focus on the pain, focus on me..." I said, rubbing her cheek. She squinted her eyes tightly, tears still forcing their way out. Her makeup had streaked down her face, and run down to her chin.

"It hurts. It hurts... please make it stop." she whimpered. I massaged her, and tried to comfort her.

"They're working on it now. You'll be better soon. I promise." I said. I suddenly realized that it was my fault.

I hadn't kept a careful enough eye on Erika's fuel mixture, and her fire had grown to hot.

The pain she was going through was because of me.

"It's my fault." I said, suddenly stepping back. Erika managed to look at me, still whimpering in pain.

"H-Huh?" she whimpered. I bowed my head in shame.

"It's my fault. I wasn't keeping a careful enough eye on your fuel mixture. I should have changed it for the grade, especially with such a heavy load behind you. It's all my fault." I said, climbing down onto the ground. I walked back to the rear of the train in silence.

How could I have been so careless?

I didn't even care that I'd be delayed getting to Frieda. What I cared about was that I had just hurt an engine.

The engine who was helping me get across the country to my love, and I re-payed her by not paying attention, and giving her pain.

What kind of monster was I?

. . .

An hour later, and Erika's wound had been sealed. Her pain had gone, but there were still several problems.

The main one being I couldn't face her. I was to ashamed. I caused such a sweet and go lucky engine to suffer. I couldn't forgive myself.

The other problem was that although her boiler had been mended, the weld was not strong enough to handle her boiler pressure.

Erika could not pull the train any further.

I was doomed. I'd never get to Frieda, I was certainly hated by Erika, and Audrey...

_Audrey_.

She could move the train! Slowly, but it was the only option! I quickly stood from my spot in the grass, and ran back to the rear, where Audrey was waiting.

"Audrey! _Audrey_!" I shouted, sliding to a stop next to her. She looked at me with a confused expression.

"What's wrong? Did something happen? No one has told me anything yet." she asked. I sighed.

"Erika's damaged, and can't pull the train anymore. It's... my fault. I wasn't paying attention to the fuel mixture, and she blew her boiler. I... I came to this country, and was offered help if I could drive and take care of her, and what do I do? I damage one of the most beautiful steam locomotives ever built. The pride and joy of San Francisco. I don't deserve to finish the route." I said, sitting on Audrey's buffer set. The Triplex smiled down at me kindly.

"_Everybody_ makes mistakes Anon. It's impossible not to. I'm sure Erika knows you didn't mean to hurt her, and I'm sure the San Francisco controller will understand. He'd be pretty closed off if he didn't. You've been missing your love for days now, and naturally, your mind would be on her quite a bit. Your lack of attention was a slip up. And look on the bright side. Erika can be repaired. You didn't destroy her, and everyone is alright. Things could have been much worse." she said.

I lifted my head slightly, and looked at Audrey.

"You really don't think Erika will hate me? I wanted to bring her to Sodor with me, you, and Ella. Now she might not want to come." I said. Audrey chuckled.

"Engine's all have their ups and downs Anon. Erika would be a fool to let this one little incident stop her from being happy, and seeing her sister again. Erika is no fool. She might seem it sometimes, but she's been through a good bit of history, and has learned a lot from it. I think she'll forgive you, if you apologize." she said.

"I hope so. But that begs the question now. We're two hundred miles from New York. We need you Audrey. Speed would be nice, but isn't necessary. What we need now is power. A strong engine to get us the rest of the way. Can you push the Daylight Express to the New York station? Can _you_ make the difference?" I asked, looking at her with hope in my eyes.

Audrey looked shocked. A slow smile crept onto her face as tears formed in her eyes.

"R-Really? You want... m-me to do it?" she asked. I put a hand to her.

"You're the only one who can. It's all up to you now. Put your unusual design to good use, and get us to our destination. We need one of the biggest locomotive's in the world. We need... _you_." I said. Audrey looked as if she was going to cry, but instead, she blew her whistle long and loud.

"I will! I'll give it everything I've got! I will get us there, slowly, but surely!" she said proudly.

"Good. Build up your steam. I'm going to inform Erika of the plan, and apologize to her." I said, walking back up to the front of the stalled train. The moment I saw Erika's face, I winced. She looked sad.

"Hey Erika. Feeling better?" I asked quietly. Erika forced a smile.

"I guess. But now, we can't get to New York. We can't get you to Frieda. That's all I really wanted. You've been so nice to me, and listened to everything I have to say. Most of the crew gets tired of listening to me talk so much, but you always listen. I just wanted to repay you by getting you to the one you love, and make you happy. But now... I can't." she said.

I choked up a little, and walked to Erika's side, giving her a gentle embrace.

"Everything I've done to you... and you're still concerned about making me happy." I said, resting my head on her. "I'm sorry for not paying attention to your fuel. This whole situation is my fault. In fact, _everything_ that's happened recently is my fault. I haven't made a good decision in weeks, apparently. I've ruined the lives of so many. The Sudrian engines, Frieda, you, and myself." I said.

Erika smiled, and nudged me with her wheel guard.

"Oh come on, you can't possibly blame yourself for all that. You couldn't have helped the bad controller from coming. You changed jobs to be with the one you love. Nobody can blame you for that. Nobody can see the future. And I probably would have blown my boiler anyway. I guess pulling fifteen passenger coaches, plus Audrey was a little to much for me after all. I've been running hot for quite a while, but I wanted to press on... for you." she said.

I stared at Erika with wide eyes.

"Why? I'm not worth it! Erika, you damaged yourself, and went through all that pain... for me? You barely know me!" I said. Erika blushed.

"W-Well... like I said, you were friendly to me, and listened to me when nobody else does. When you run a line like this, just miles and miles of tracks, there really isn't anyone to talk to. Having you with me this time made it so much more enjoyable. I just wanted to make it worth it for you, and get you to your engine." she said. I sighed.

"Erika... I don't really know what to say... except thank you. I didn't mind listening to you. All the stories you told me were quite interesting. I never really knew what life was like anywhere but on Sodor, so it's interesting to learn about life in a different country. But you shouldn't have pushed yourself so hard." I said sternly.

"Well, it's to late now anyway." Erika said. I nodded.

"It is. But, Audrey thinks she can get us the rest of the way. She's building up steam as we speak." I said. Erika perked up.

"Audrey? She really thinks she can get us to the station?" she asked. I nodded.

"I think she can. She might get us there slowly, and we might be late, but we'll still get there, and that's all that matters. It's time for her to be _really useful_."

. . .

After Erika was ready to be pushed, and Audrey had built up enough steam, I climbed into Audrey's cab, and prepared her for pushing.

"You've got optimum pressure, and your fire is strong! Are you ready? When you blow your whistle, Erika will release her brakes, and the entire weight of the train will be on you!" I said. Audrey began to push forwards, blowing her whistle once she started to ever so slowly push it forwards.

Up front, Erika released her brakes, and suddenly, the whole train stopped again.

"Easy now! It's up to you!" I said to Audrey, who was carefully applying her tractive effort. Her three sets of drivers slowly... SLOWLY began to rotate forwards as smoke erupted from her dual funnels. Steam hissed from every valve Audrey had, a near deafening sound. With a creak and a groan, the Daylight Express began to slowly make its way up the hill at a snails pace, but getting an entire train going again on a hill was a feat in itself. Audrey was quite the strong engine.

I adjusted her regulator pressure, and carefully kept an eye on her firebox. I didn't want a repeat of Erika's situation. Steam erupted from all six of Audrey's pistons, engulfing her in a cloud of steam and smoke. It was... astounding to watch her work, even from inside her cab. A machine of raw strength and stamina giving it her all. One of her driver sets would occasionally slip briefly, but Audrey would be quick to correct it. A loss of traction now would mean a total loss of forward momentum, especially since Audrey was climbing at about three miles per hour.

"You're doing it Audrey! We're moving _forwards_!" I called. Audrey puffed out her cheeks, and continued heavily chuffing up the hill, black smoke shooting high into the air. Until finally... the top was reached.

"You did it!" I heard Erika call from the front, although it was barely audible. Audrey creaked to a stop, catching her breath. Steam hissed from her wheels, and rose into the air all around her.

If someone had been watching from a distance, they might have said Audrey looked to be engulfed in a magical cloud, or riding on a magic cloud of steam. An astounding sight, none the less. I patted her side.

"I'm amazed Audrey. You could push an ocean liner up a mountain." I said. Audrey laughed, having finally caught her breath.

"Oh... dear. I haven't worked that hard in _ages_! Not since I first went through my test runs!" she breathed, smiling happily. I clapped for her.

"But you did it! This is what you were built for! You're a kind of Shay engine, Audrey! Built for low speed power! You could climb mountains with massive loads, if the corners were wide enough! You might come in quite handy on Sodor. I know the tourists will _love_ you!" I said. The thought of being admired by others like me made Audrey's smile widen.

"I'd love to be appreciated by others. It would make me so happy." she said, slowly pushing the Daylight Express onward. At a steady speed of roughly eight miles per hour, it would be very slow going, but going still it would be. On downhill sections, Audrey would let the train's speed increase, letting gravity do its job. As I leaned out of her window, and watched her many piston assemblies rotate around and around, I smiled.

"Being different doesn't mean you can't be useful. You're an incredible engine Audrey, and you're the only one like it. I doubt there's many engines that could out-pull you." I said. Audrey marveled over my words.

"I don't know. The Union Pacific Big Boy might give me a run for my money. It's as big, if not bigger, than I am, with its tender. It's only got two sets of drivers, but it's much, MUCH faster than I am." she said. I chuckled.

"But it's not _you_. There's never been an engine to have three individual sets of drivers besides you. Ever. That makes you special, and unique." I said. Audrey blushed.

"I suppose it does. I really must thank you Anon. I've not felt this good, or this... needed, in a long, long time. It feels wonderful." she said. I chuckled at her giddiness, and with a final push, the Daylight Express made its way to the New York docks.


	10. Chapter 10

It had taken just over half the day, but finally... FINALLY, the Daylight Express, as weakened, injured, and late as it was, made its way to the New York Station near the harbor.

We had made it.

Three thousand or more miles, five days, and many adventures, and I had finally made it across the United States of America.

Once Audrey brought the train to a stop, all of the passengers got off, and quite a few of them went back to thank Audrey, or admire her design. The utter look of joy on her face made my heart melt. She was finally getting the attention she so strongly desired.

I hopped out, and looked around. A mile or two away, I could see the ocean, and several freight barges sitting in the dock. I turned to Audrey.

"I'm going to find Frieda. If you can, maybe you could push Erika over in about half an hour or so. I know you'd both like to meet her." I said. Audrey smiled as a child climbed onto her front buffer beam.

"Okay Anon. I hope she's waiting there for you." she said. I nodded, and then walked off towards the docks, hoping that my adventure wasn't all for nothing. I ran to the docks on foot, my legs powered by seemingly unlimited energy. I weaved my way around buildings, parked vehicles, other people, and freight containers.

Once I had finally made it to the docks, I stopped at the entrance, out of breath. Several sets of tracks were strewn about, and several large American diesels were going about their jobs. I carefully made my way around, looking for my loved one. I didn't want to reach out to her with my mind. I wanted to surprise her in person.

After a good while, I remembered something.

Frieda liked to look at the ocean. When she first arrived on Sodor, and was homesick, she looked out at the ocean towards her home.

I quickly made my way towards the edge of the dock, and when I got there, I looked around. My eyes widened as I saw a large blue tender poking out from the other side of a shipping container. Without a second of hesitation, I quickly ran over to it.

A smile of joy appeared on my face as I recognized the large number "409" on the tender. The engine the whole adventure had been about... was here.

I quietly walked along side her, her blue paint and gleaming red wheels shining bright in the evening sunlight. I stopped next to her as I heard her speak.

"Please come und find me, Anon. I so badly vant to tell you how much I love you. I cannot vait much longer." she said quietly, gazing out onto the water. I walked up to her, and smiled.

"Who said you had to wait any longer?" I asked, looking up at her. Frieda's eyes turned towards me, and immediately widened to the size of dinner plates.

"A-A... Y-You... w-when..." she gave up talking, and settled for bursting into tears instead. I climbed onto her bumper, and embraced her as tears poured down her face. I nuzzled her cheek, and rubbed her side.

"I've missed you, my love." I whispered. Frieda's sobs slowly began to quiet as I comforted her, kissing her cheek, embracing her, and whispering sweet nothings to her. She whimpered quietly, the strong engine I once knew now fragile, defeated, and agonizingly lonely. She looked at me with tear filled eyes for minutes, before I leaned forward, and kissed her directly, a near week of separation coming to an end with the contact of my lips meeting hers.

As we kissed, I could feel her trembling, and I wished I could hold her. I finally broke the kiss, and wrapped my arms around her front as much as I could as she started to cry again.

"I... I... I haf missed you so _much_!" she quietly sobbed. I sat on her bumper, and leaned back against her.

"I've missed you more than I thought it possible to miss someone. You should have seen me, freaking out at the docks when the ship started leaving." I said. Frieda didn't laugh.

"I nefer thought I vould see you again. I thought... I thought I vould be alone again. Alone, vithout you, and novhere to go. I vas scared, und... und... I'm sorry fohr vat I said! You are _not_ a useless man, und I vas vrong to say zat you vere! _Please forgive me!_" Frieda said, choking out another sob. I gently patted her side.

"I do, Frieda. I know you didn't mean it. Our nerves were just a little fried that day. It's not your fault. I will never leave your side again for as long as I live. This week has been the worst week of my life. I was so worried about you. Worried I'd never see you again. Worried that I would be without my engine, without the one who makes me feel at peace." I said. Frieda took a deep breath as she tried to pull herself together.

"I love you! I love you! _I love you!_ I said eet! I cannot live vithout you, und I can't be happy eef you're not by my side. You are ze only thing zat matters to me, und eef I lose you... I might as vell be _scrapped_. You are ze one who cares about me, und loves me efen vith all of my quirks. You mean eet ven you say I'm beautiful, und you do not mind ven I get grumpy. Zis veek, all I haf been is grumpy und upset. I... I could not stop vondering eef you vould come fohr me... or eef you vould find another to love. I... I'm not vorth your love. How could I be eef I couldn't efen show how much you mean to me?!" she sobbed.

Her words stung like needles in my heart.

She didn't think she was worth my time, or love.

I instantly proved her wrong. I kissed her again, holding her into the kiss, and didn't let her go until she stopped crying.

I finally released her, and looked at her with a serious expression.

"Frieda, I don't care if you couldn't tell me how much you loved me. I _know_ you love me, and that's all that matters to me. You don't have to express how much, and I'm sorry for asking you to. Some just don't show their emotions as well as others. But I know deep down inside, you love me, and I love you, with all my heart." I said, hugging her again. Frieda smiled at my embrace, and just focused on my touch.

"Vell, still. I haf vanted to tell you fohr so long how much you really mean to me... but I vas alvays nervous. I haf never been loved before... und it vas hard for me to describe how I feel. But I can speak it now." she said. I stood back, waiting for her to continue. She took a deep breath, before looking down at me with a kind, loving smile.

"Anon, ven I see you, zer eez _nothing_ zat can ruin my day. Ven you are vith me, I am ze _happiest_ engine een ze vorld, und ven you talk to me... I hear nothing else. Your voice puts me at ease, und could calm me efen eef I vas... vas... back in Germany! I could be back een Germany, vith Dennis, as my life vas, but as long as you vere vith me, I vould be happy. Ven you kiss me, all of my problems disappear, und ven you hug me... I feel varm. Varm like my firebox vill explode." she paused, then looked at me with a loving gaze.

"Und ven you say "I love you"... I am on cloud nine. Nothing else matters. Ven you say ze three vords... I am at peace, und eet feels as eef nothing can harm me. Und I can finally say eet back..." she said, taking a breath.

"I love you too. More zen anything." she finished.

My jaw hung open.

I knew Frieda loved me, but... what she had just said... was difficult to comprehend!

I really meant that much to her?

"F-Frieda... I... I don't know what to say..." I said quietly, leaning my cheek against hers.

"Just say eet. Von more time..." she whispered. I looked at her, leaning my forehead to hers.

"I love you, my beautiful blue German." I whispered. Frieda closed her eyes, and smiled. A rosy blush appeared on her face, and she looked more content than I'd ever seen her be. She was truly at peace at this moment.

"I love you Anon. Forever und ever." she whispered back.

The two of us shared each others presence in silence for at least ten minutes, before somebody started bawling. And it wasn't me, or Frieda.

"_Awww_! That's so... so... romantic and _sweet_!" a familiar voice said. Frieda and I looked over to find Erika and Audrey sitting a fair distance away. I blushed.

"Ah. You two. H-How long have the two of you been there?" I asked. Audrey was trying not to laugh.

"Oh, I don't know... about ten minutes?" she said, smiling grandly. I scratched the back of my neck.

"I see. Well. Introductions are in order I suppose." I said, getting back onto the ground. Frieda was eyeing Erika and Audrey with a stern expression, though it was mostly going to Erika.

"Frieda, this is Audrey, and Erika. Erika is the one who got me here, and Audrey was a massive help. Audrey is also the one who is going to get us Sodor back." I said. Frieda looked at the two new female engines.

"I see. Und... Erika. Vat kind of engine are _you_?" she asked tensely. Erika seemed to sense Frieda's lenience against her.

"Umm... I'm nothing special... j-just a Daylight." she said quietly, growing nervous at Frieda's gaze. I put a hand to Frieda.

"I know you're wondering... no, I'm not involved with either of them. I told you Frieda, I'm yours, and only yours. They're just my friends, and they want to be yours." I said. Frieda's gaze softened towards the two new engines.

"I see. Vell zen, hallo to you both." she said.

"I've got a plan to get us Sodor back, Frieda. I'm going to set up a little wager between Dennis and I. A competition of strength, between Audrey here, and his strongest diesel. Whoever wins stays on Sodor, the loser leaves, and never goes back." I said. Frieda's eyes widened.

"_Vat_?! Are you _crazy_?! If we lose, ve vill nefer be able to see our home again!" she said. I smiled, and walked over to Audrey.

"Don't worry, we won't lose. Audrey can out-pull any single engine on the planet. She's coming back with us, and if we win, Sodor will be her new home. She's isn't owned by anyone here. If we get Sodor back, I'm going to regain my position as Controller, and along with Audrey, there's an engine is Missouri that I'll also be buying and restoring. Erika's sister, Ella. And if her controller lets me, I'll buy Erika too. We need two Express engines to go from the far side of Sodor to the mainland." I said.

Frieda huffed.

"Vhy did you haf to pick ze most beautiful engines you could?" she grumbled. I smiled, and gave her a knowing look.

"_Relax_, will you? They're my friends. You know I love you Frieda. Appearances don't matter to me, what matters to me is who you are. I've fallen in love with you Frieda, not your body. Although, having a nice body like yours doesn't hurt. Nice flowing blue wheel arches... bright red wheels... sharp speed panels..." I trailed off as Frieda began to blush.

"Alright, _alright_. I get eet. Ven vill be going back to Sodor zen?" she asked. I checked my watch.

"Whenever there's a ship bound for the mainland. Shouldn't be to long. While we wait, I have the number of the San Francisco station. I'm going to call it, and see if I can buy Erika. Cross your wheels, everyone." I said, walking into the nearest public building.

. . .

After a lengthy phone call, I walked back to the three waiting engines with a smile on my face. The three girls became quiet as I approached. Erika looked hopeful, and Audrey and Frieda smiled gently, waiting for the news.

"Well, Erika... there's a problem..." I started. Erika's smile instantly vanished, replaced with a sad frown.

"I can't buy you currently because... you've been _given_ to me! He said I can purchase you when I gain the Controller position, but you can come with me now!" I finished. Once Erika had figured out what I said, she squealed in delight.

"I'm going to see my sister again! After more than sixty years!" she said, bouncing up and down. Frieda and Audrey just smiled at her.

"Well, that's that then. All three of us are going back to Sodor." Audrey said. I smiled.

"Yeah... gosh it feels like forever since I've been there, even though it hasn't even been two weeks. It will be by the time we get back though. Frieda, do you still have the sleeper coach you brought with on the ship?" I asked. Frieda nodded.

"Ja, eet eez in ze shed I haf been staying een. Are ve taking eet vith?" she asked. I nodded.

"Of course. I need a change of clothes, for sure. Besides, we're going to need all of your passenger coaches when you start running your Express line again." I said. Frieda smiled at the thought of getting her job back.

The dock manager came over.

"We've got two ships bound for the British mainland leaving in a few hours. Between the two ships, we'll have enough room for all three engines. Frieda and the coach can go on one, and these two..." he said, motioning to Erika and Audrey. "Will go on the other ship. They're big engines, but I think there's enough track on the freighter for them." he said.

We were all overjoyed. Soon, everyone would be heading back to Sodor!

The three engines all chuffed over to the port where the two ships were waiting.

The American crane slowly and carefully loaded the three engines as I boarded the smaller of the two ships. By the time I had gotten to the freight deck, Frieda had already been loaded, and was waiting for me.

"So... won't be long now, huh? Three or four days, and we'll give Dennis the what for!" I said. Frieda looked worried.

"Vat eef ve lose Anon?" she asked quietly. I sighed.

"I already told you..."

"_I know vat you said!_ But... vat eef you are _vrong_?" Frieda asked, looking at me with concern. I smiled, and patted Frieda's bumper.

"Then we'll face it together. I already told you, I'll go where you go, no matter where that is. I won't leave you again. If we're banished from Sodor, as it were, then we can start anew somewhere else together. Maybe even come back here, to America. There's a lot of open lines for fast engines like you." I said.

"Maybe so, but I vould still prefer Sodor." Frieda said. I nodded.

"Me too. Me too." I said, watching as Erika and Audrey were loaded onto the other ship.

After another couple of hours, all the engines had been tied down and secured, as well as the sleeper coach. It was quite dark, about ten at night by now. The dock lights illuminated the ship, and Frieda had fallen asleep some time ago. Now that she had me by her side again, she could sleep peacefully.

But I was to worried to sleep.

Frieda had a point. What if I was wrong? What if Audrey couldn't pull as much as she once could? She's an old engine, after all.

"Bah!" I said, shaking my head. I couldn't let myself start thinking negatively. Audrey was one of the strongest engines ever built, and I knew it. All I had to do now was have faith in her.

As the ships foghorn blew, and the two ships slowly left the docks, one after the other, I looked up at the stars. They were a reminder to me that no matter what happened, or where you went, Frieda and I would still be together, in the same world.

. . .

After a while, I had decided to sit next to Frieda, and lean against her. After the separation, just being next to her made me feel at ease.

I listened to her gentle breathing, and her occasional snore. I looked up at her, her expression fairly blank. I took note of her facial features.

A nice, strong jawline, beautiful eyelashes, a nice tender set of lips, and a perfect nose. She was a beautiful engine, that was certain. I let my eyes wander over her bodywork, taking in the speed designed curves and corners. Smooth, flowing wheel flares, a smooth pointed front, with an aero plate on either side of her face to move air around her boiler. Her six massive drivers, and her large tender.

Her whole design screamed speed and stamina. Many engines had been designed like this, with similar bodywork and wheels, but in my opinion, few pulled it off as well as Frieda did. She was a one of a kind engine. A prototype. The only DB Class 10 on Earth. It was why I noticed her at the Great Railway Show. Her bright colors, and beautiful styling had caught my eye out of all the engines there. Although, the first time I saw her face, I felt a little afraid.

To the untrained eye, Frieda could look a little intimidating. Her fierce, fiery gaze, and determined jaw line made her look quite strong and forward. But as I watched her, I picked up on the small things. It wasn't until after she had gotten fourth out of the five engines in the strength competition that I saw a subtle hint of her true self.

She had passed by me as I was walking along the track yard, and I saw her same expression, tough, and unbeatable. But it looked strained, as if she was trying to look as if nothing was wrong. But I knew better than that. Nobody can bottle up their emotions forever. That's why I took a liking to her. Beauty aside, I knew just from her expression that she wasn't what she seemed. A mystery in the form of an engine.

When she first arrived on Sodor, I thought maybe some of the problem was that she was so intimidating that most avoided her. So when I went to greet her first, her surprise that anyone was paying her any mind was genuine.

Because I had the gall to approach her when I didn't have to.

As I continued to gaze upon her, I smiled. She had changed so much since meeting me. She would speak her mind, at least to me. She was friendly towards others, even to the point that children approached her with curiosity in their eyes. She never said it, but I knew she loved being admired by the children. I had seen her eyes light up when they looked at her, or her smile when they talked to her. She was just like any other engine. She just needed someone to love her, and someone to love. And for her, that was me.

She had improved my life so much as well. Now, instead of my life just being work, and then going home to an empty house, I had someone to share my day with, and someone to work with. I didn't realize how lonely I had been until I found myself without Frieda back in San Francisco. The thought of not seeing her ever again wasn't just depressing... it was terrifying. No one wants to lose the one they love.

I leaned back against her, and sighed. All was right now, for the most part. I had found her again, and we both were happy. Now all that needed to be done was get Sodor back to the way it was, and everything would be perfect.

I noticed a light in the sky, and looked up to see a shooting star blazing across the night sky. I closed my eyes, and made a wish.

"I wish... everything will go back to the way it should be, and everyone will be happy again."


	11. Chapter 11

Three and a half days later, and the Island of Sodor was in sight. As the two freighters approached the harbor, I frowned.

Sodor looked so... _gray_. No sunlight shone overhead, and Carly and Cranky were both lacking in their usual attitude's. Carly was quiet, slowly moving things around, and Cranky looked burned out. Neither of them said a word, or even seemed to notice us.

While the two ships were docking, I looked at the rail lines. Various types of diesels were present, pulling, pushing, and shunting freight cars. There wasn't a single steamer in sight. It appeared that Dennis had gone through with his plan. I didn't recognize one engine. I looked to Frieda, who looked depressed.

Two weeks, and the Island her and I both knew had changed so much, all because of one man. But hopefully today, that man would be taken down.

Once the ships docked, Carly looked over to our ship. Her face immediately lit up when she saw Frieda and I.

"Anon, you're _back_! I thought you weren't returning?" she said, looking happier than she had in two weeks. I smiled.

"That was before I realized it was up to me to put things right. I will not stand idly by and watch Sodor lose its magic. I'm going to get Dennis to resign." I said. Cranky scoffed.

"I'd love to see _that_. What are you going to do, ask him to leave? That ain't happening." he said. I smiled.

"Oh, don't worry. I've got a plan. I need you to unload all three engines, and the sleeper coach. If all goes well, I'll be the new Controller soon." I said.

Even Cranky had to smile a little at the thought.

"Alright, fine. Carly, get started on Frieda, will you? I'll take the orange one." he said, positioning his hook over Erika. Frieda and Erika were carefully unloaded, and placed onto the rails. Frieda's smile grew as she was surrounded my familiar sights and sounds. Erika looked around in curiosity.

Working together, Carly and Cranky unloaded Audrey, one train support on each end. She was set onto the tracks finally, and I nodded.

"Good work. Audrey, I'd like you to wait here with Erika. Frieda and I are going to find Dennis. The strength competition will be held here, in the dock yard. We'll be back soon." I said, climbing into Frieda's cab. Frieda blew her whistle, and chuffed out of the docks, towards Knapford station.

Along the way, I took note of the reactions the diesels had to seeing Frieda. Some had looks of disgust, and some looked fascinated. Frieda was getting nervous at all the looks she was getting.

"Und here thought ze more attention, ze better." she said.

"Ignore them. Most of those diesels think they're better than steamers, but we know better, don't we?" I said, stroking her side.

After a while, Frieda pulled into Knapford station, which was deserted at the moment. I got out onto the platform, and took a breath. It was time to confront the man responsible for this whole mess.

I walked up to the door, and knocked heavily. After a moment, Dennis opened the door, and looked quite surprised to see me.

"You! Where the _hell_ have you _been_?! I've had you assigned to a passenger diesel, and you haven't bothered to show up at _all_! Do you know what kind of..." he stopped as he saw Frieda behind me. "What the hell is _she_ doing here? There's only room for diesels on this Island. She's supposed to go back to Germany!" he said. I chuckled, and looked at her.

"So you say. Tell me, Dennis. What if she doesn't want to go back?" I asked, looking towards Frieda. Dennis scoffed.

"What she _wants_ isn't important. She's a _machine_, and will follow orders." Dennis said. I looked at him darkly.

"She is not just a _machine_. She is a living, breathing _woman_ who has _feelings_, and a will of her own. I did not just travel across a whole damn country to find a machine!" I snapped. Dennis didn't look phased.

"I don't know what you're talking about! On my railway, the engines do as I say, and work efficiently. Steamers aren't efficient, and she does _not_ belong here!" he said. I checked my nails, not showing any sign of frustration.

"Tell me again, why is it you so firmly believe that diesels are better than steamers?" I asked. Dennis laughed.

"Seriously? They're newer, more efficient, cleaner, and cheaper to run. They're stronger, and faster." he said confidently. I narrowed my eyes.

"Would you bet on that?" I asked, waiting for him to take the bait. Dennis smirked.

"I'd bet almost anything on that. It's an easy win." he said. I nodded.

"Alright, put your railway where your mouth is." I said. He frowned.

"What?" he asked.

"If you're so confident in diesel's superiority, then lets have a little contest. A strength competition. You get your strongest diesel, and I'll get the strongest steam locomotive I can find on this Island. Load them up with loads that are extremely heavy, and see who can pull it. You say you'd bet almost anything on the diesel, so how about this... if your diesel can out-pull my steamer, then Frieda and I will leave Sodor forever, and never bother you again." I said. Dennis raised an eyebrow.

"And, if by some miracle, I _lose_?" he asked. I grinned.

"Then you resign from your position as Controller, leave Sodor, and let us be." I said. Dennis laughed.

"You're crazy! Why would I bet my job and home!? Do you take me for a fool?" he asked.

"So then you think your strongest diesel might lose to a steamer?" I asked, grinning at him. Dennis scowled.

"Absolutely not!"

"Then prove it. Prove a diesel is superior to steam." I said. Dennis's face twitched. Suddenly, he thrust his hand towards me, open.

"I'm going to enjoy seeing all of your Steamers gone. You as well. You've caused me nothing but trouble." he said. I grabbed his hand, and shook it.

"Alright then, it's a bet. Why don't we head down to the docks? Bring your diesel. The sooner we can get this over with, the sooner you can resign." I said, walking back towards Frieda. Dennis laughed.

"Fine! But it will be you who is leaving!" he said, walking off to the train yard. Frieda smiled.

"Zat seemed to easy." she said as I climbed in.

"A greed ridden man will jump at the opportunity to win, and be right. Such a foolish idea." I said as Frieda chuffed back towards the docks.

. . .

After Frieda had arrived, I told Cranky and Carly the plan, and they began to load two duplicate trains, each one having the same load and length. Once they were finished, dozens of freight cars loaded with stone, brick, metal, and other heavy objects were ready. They both looked quite intimidating.

I heard the honk of a horn, and turned to see Dennis arriving with his diesel, a flat faced, long box diesel. Once the diesel stopped, Dennis hopped out.

"Otto is the strongest engine on the Island. An EMD Class 66 Diesel-Electric! Twelve wheel drive, and enough power to move the heaviest of loads!" he said confidently. I smiled, amused at his choice.

"Okay, not bad. Before I reveal my engine, lets settle the rules. Which ever engine can pull their load one hundred feet first, wins! Not whoever is the fastest, but the strongest." I said. Dennis agreed.

"Alright then. Audrey, come on out!" I called. With a hiss of steam, the Triplex chuffed out from behind a building in all her glory. Dennis's face paled a little as he saw her. As Audrey stopped next to me, she purposely released an immense cloud of steam, engulfing herself in it, before letting it clear.

"I see your twelve wheel drive, and raise you twenty four wheel drive, and enough tractive effort to move a mountain! Audrey is the strongest Steamer ever built!" I said. Dennis looked at Audrey, then back at me, then at Audrey.

"You... you can't use her, she's not a British engine!" he said. I shrugged.

"And who said she had to be? Your diesel is German. I said I'd pick the strongest steamer on the _Island_. And, Audrey is on the Island. It's your fault really, considering that you made all the steamers leave. I didn't have many options." I said. Dennis fumed, but couldn't argue. No rules had been laid out about engine origin.

"Couple to your loads!" Cranky called, watching from above. Audrey and Otto manuvered themselves on their parallel tracks, and coupled to their identical trains. I climbed in Audrey's cab, and Dennis climbed in Otto's.

"Alright Audrey, this is what we've been waiting for. This diesel next to you thinks he's better than you! Prove him wrong! Prove everyone wrong! Steamers are stronger than diesels!" I said.

"Let's do it!" Audrey said, focusing on the one hundred feet marker that had been laid ahead.

The first engine to reach it would win.

I leaned out Audrey's window, and called to Dennis.

"Remember Dennis, whoever loses... leaves!" Dennis looked out of Otto.

"YOU remember it! Having a lot of wheels and a big engine doesn't mean anything! It's still old technology, and inferior!" he said, before disappearing into the diesels cab. I shrugged.

"We shall see." I said, bumping up Audrey's boiler pressure.

"All engines ready?!" Cranky said. Audrey turned on her sand, and Otto revved his engine.

"Steady!" Cranky continued. Steam began to hiss from Audrey's sides, her brakes holding her in place as she increased her throttle for a good start. Otto's engine roared with power.

"_PULL_!"

An eruption of steam and smoke bellowed from Audrey's funnels and sides, her twenty four drivers slipping, trying to hold onto the track. Otto's engine roared loudly, his smaller wheels sparking as they spun on the rails.

"Steady!" I said, watching Audrey's drivers. She lowered her power as steam continued to hiss from her sides.

Slowly

SLOWLY... she began to move forwards. An inch... and then another...

Audrey was moving her load, her drivers turning agonizingly slowly. Her metal frame creaked and groaned as the weight of the heavy freight cars protested their movement.

Otto's engine RPM's fluttered as he suddenly managed to get some traction, and began to move forward as well.

"Come on Otto, show that steamer the benefits of diesels!" Dennis shouted. I gave Audrey a calm pat.

"Don't over do it Audrey, slow and steady wins the race!" I said. Huge plumes of black smoke erupted in steady rhythm from her funnels as she crawled forwards. She groaned with effort, her wheels slipping and regaining traction, the wheel rods slowly creaking as they turned her drivers round. She was up to one mile per hour! I looked over, and saw that Otto had fallen behind slightly.

"Come on Otto, move it!" Dennis shouted. Otto's face was creased with effort, and he pulled harder, his engine screaming in effort.

Both engines were moving, slowly, but surely. Audrey's steadily chuffed, me constantly at the controls keeping her boiler pressure optimal. Her three sets of drivers worked together pulling the insane load of weight, and wheel turn by wheel turn... she got closer to the finish.

Otto was right there with her, exhaust spewing from his stacks, and his generator and engine whirring loudly.

"Come on Audrey, you can do it! Be the useful engine you've always wanted to be, and longed to be for so long! Make the difference!" I said. Audrey pulled as hard as she could, suddenly accelerating a little faster. She was pulling on Otto now, slowly getting ahead. Her wheels rotated faster, not losing traction anymore. Her funnel spewing smoke high into the air, steam blasting the ground on either side of her with so much force, small rocks next to the track were sent flying.

Otto's engine got louder as he pulled with all his might, regaining the same slow speed as Audrey.

This was it. Steam versus diesel. Old school pressurized parts versus gasoline powered engines. And Audrey was winning.

The finish line was only forty feet away now, and gradually getting closer.

"Come on you stupid diesel, _GO_!" Dennis screamed. Otto gave it all he had, his engine racing. He began to pull ahead of Audrey... but not for long.

Suddenly, smoke began to pour from his exhaust stacks, and then, a large flame shot out, before disappearing. A loud BANG! pierced the air, and then smoke began to slither from Otto's side vents. He quickly rolled to a stop, smoke rising from his sides, while Audrey chuffed on.

Otto had blown his engine.

"Come on Audrey! We're ten feet away! You can _win_!" I encouraged. And with one final chuff, one final wheel turn, and one final belch of smoke from her funnels... she crossed the line. She quickly came to a stop, steam erupting from her valves. The air around her was hot, and humid, but no one cared. They were all to busy cheering.

"Audrey is the winner! Steam is more powerful!" Cranky said, a smile on his face. Carly spun around in excitement, her hook flailing with her. I climbed out, and faced an exhausted looking Audrey. She was breathing heavily, and her face was red.

"I... haven't... worked... that hard... _ever_..." she breathed, smiling. I placed a hand on her.

"But you did it. You _won_. Audrey... _you_ are the strongest engine in the world." I said. She closed her eyes, and smiled at my words. I looked over at Otto, who was sitting behind a little, looking miserable. Smoke stains lined his body, and black soot covered his sides. Dennis angrily climbed out, and faced me.

"This does not count! My engine failed!" he yelled. I smirked.

"Really? Well then, I guess that would mean your engine wasn't strong enough. Did anyone here hear any rule about a rematch if one's engine should fail?" I asked, looking around. No one replied.

"I didn't think so. If you wanted that rule, you should have suggested it before hand. But, it's to late now. You've lost." I said, smiling. Dennis's face turned red.

"And who is going to make me leave, huh? Do you really think just because you won, I'll _actually_ leave?!" he asked. Before I could answer, someone else did.

"Yes, we do expect you to." a female voice said. I looked over, and saw Lady sitting on a side track. I smiled.

Right on time.

"You see Dennis, I figured you wouldn't hold your word. And I also knew that the one engine you couldn't remove from Sodor was Lady. Since she's crucial to Sodor's survival, she had to stay. Which is why I had Frieda go and find her while this was going on. I think she'll convince you to keep your word." I said, nodding towards Lady.

She chuffed up to Dennis, a stern expression on her face.

"Indeed. You lost Dennis. You are to resign from your position, and _leave_." she said. Dennis laughed.

"And what makes you think that I'll take orders from an engine?!" he asked.

"Nothing, except I would assume you have enough common sense to listen to someone who has the magical power to wipe you off the face of the Earth." I said. Lady smiled.

"Quite. Are you smart enough, Dennis? Or perhaps you have _forgotten_ about my magical power?" she asked, her eyes glowing a light golden hue. Dennis's face paled, and he looked furious. He pointed a shaking finger at me.

"Y-You... I... ARRGH! This isn't over! I'll be back! I will be!" he said.

"And I'll be here should you decide to break your word." Lady snapped. Dennis went quiet, and stormed off. I turned to Lady.

"Well, I think that worked. Much appreciated, Lady." I said. She smiled.

"Anytime Anon. _Nobody_ messes with my Island." she said. Frieda chuffed up next to Lady.

"Excellent job, Frieda. You found Lady in the nick of time." I said.

"Ja, I vent as fast as I could." she said. I turned to Erika, who was quiet.

"So... does this mean I can stay?" she asked. I nodded.

"You can. You, Ella, and Audrey. Welcome to your new home." I said as everyone cheered. Erika's face lit up, and Audrey smiled.

"I'm so happy!" Erika screeched, blowing her whistle so loud, everyone had to cover their ears.

"Take it easy Erika. Save your energy for when Ella gets here." I said. Erika's eyes widened.

"Ella! I can't wait to see her! I've missed her so much!" she said. As she continued chattering, I turned my attention to Audrey.

"So... you're quite the strong one. We could use you for many things around here. Would you like a permanent job, and a permanent home?" I asked. Audrey smiled as tears began to slowly trickle down her face.

"I would. I would love that." she said.

"Ask, and you shall receive. You may stay on Sodor for as long as you wish. I'd be proud to say that the strongest engine ever built resides on our quaint Island of Sodor." I said. Audrey was happy, Erika was happy, everyone was happy.

Except me. I had quite a lot of work ahead of me.

"Right. I've got several dozen phone calls to make, and several dozen engines to get back. I'd better get started." I said, climbing into Frieda, and heading towards Knapford Station.


	12. Chapter 12

It had taken the better part of a week, but everything was headed in the right direction. Nobody had seen any sign of Dennis since the contest, and all of the German diesels were thinning out slowly, all heading back to Germany.

With a great deal of negotiating and explaining, all of the Sudrian engines were returning to Sodor. Thomas, James, Gordon, Edward, Rebecca, and Percy were all back first, because they had just gone to the Mainland. Mavis had never left, as she was a diesel, and Rosie, Emily, and Nia were all on their way.

I had taken charge of the railway, and was currently sitting in my office, going over the map of where each engine was currently. Being the Controller was quite a challenging job, but my experience as the dock manager gave me a good amount of experience with stress handling, and problem solving.

I leaned back, and looked out the window. Although I had put everything right, I missed being out on the line with Frieda. I was no longer able to run her Express line with her, because I was always busy handling the railway, but I knew it was for the best. Frieda would always make a stop at Knapford around noon, and the two of us would always visit, and be by each others side.

Ella had come on an American ship a few days ago, and the look on her and Erika's face when the two Daylights saw each other was heartwarming. Tears were shed, nuzzles were given, and the two had become nearly inseparable since. Erika was training for her new Express line, but she spent every free moment she had at the Steamworks keeping Ella company while she was restored.

Audrey had been a massive help at the Quarry, and in the hills. Things had never run better since she was keeping all the heavier loads moving. Everything was going perfectly.

I looked at the clock, and saw that it was nearing seven in the evening. Frieda would be by soon to take me home. I filed the rest of my paperwork, and then walked outside, locking the office behind me. I took a deep breath of fresh air, and let it out slowly.

Right on time, I heard my favorite engine's whistle pierce the air, and then Frieda pulled into the station, and smile on her face. In fact, ever since getting back, Frieda was almost always smiling. It made her look lovely.

"Hallo Anon. Are you ready to go?" she asked, releasing a cloud of steam. I nodded.

"Yep. Let's head home." I said, giving her a peck on the cheek. Frieda blushed, and looked at me.

"Vell, first you are needed at ze docks. Zere eez a bit of un situation." she said. I sighed.

"Ughh, of _course_ there is. Fine, lets go." I said, climbing into Frieda's cab. She puffed smoothly along the mainline, gradually heading towards the docks.

"So, how'd your Express go today?" I asked.

"Eet vent vell, as usual. I vas on time, und had many passengers." Frieda replied.

"Good job. I knew you were a speedy engine. I just wish I could go with you. It can get quite boring being stuck in the office, or going around and fixing problems." I said. Frieda sighed.

"I miss you as vell. Eet eez not ze same vithout you, but at least ve can see each other in ze morning, efening, und ven I stop at Knapford." she said. I smiled.

"It just makes the time we spend together all the more special. Plus, I have the photo of you on my desk to look at when I get lonely, or need some cheering up." I said. There was a photo of Frieda on my desk, one of her giving a genuine smile. She looked so happy, it always warmed my heart when I looked at it, knowing that her life had changed for the better after so long.

. . .

After another ten minutes, Frieda pulled into absolute chaos at the docks. Nearly every steamer on the island was there, and the noise was insane. The tracks were packed end to end, and there were even some balloons floating around. Frieda slowed to a stop, and I climbed out as she blew her whistle loudly. The idle chatter quieted as she did so.

"What in the world is going on here?!" I asked, looking around at all the steamers. Frieda pulled up next to you, and gave me a nudge.

"Ve are all so grateful fohr you saving our home." she said. Audrey pulled up next to Frieda.

"And giving us a home." she added. Suddenly, Lady squeezed through the crowd of engines in front of me, and stopped.

"And saving the place that is special to _all_ of us." she said. Nia, Rosie, and Emily chuffed up. They had just arrived.

"You care for all of us, even though we're not as modern as diesels." Emily said.

"And you are always helpful!" Nia said.

"We all wanted to thank you, for saving our lives, home, and jobs." Rosie finished. I looked around at the mass of engines, all of them smiling at me, some with tears in their eyes. I heard Frieda speak behind me.

"Und ven zere vas a challenge, like being on ze other side of a country vith no von to help, you vent through, und got to ze one you loved. You care so much about all of us." she said, sniffing a little. I placed a calming hand on her, smiling.

"Ve vant to show you how much ve care fohr you as vell." she finished, a few stray tears going down her face. I stayed close to Frieda, before suddenly, an up roaring amount of whistles and cheers ripped through the air.

"_WE LOVE YOU ANON! THANK YOU!_" all the engines cheered as their whistles blew. It was a deafening sound. I leaned back against Frieda, quite overwhelmed.

"I... uh..." I stuttered. "Thanks?" I finally managed to say. Laughter rang out from my reaction. I finally stood, and cleared your throat.

"Thank you, all of you. I've lived on Sodor my whole life almost, and I always loved it because of all of you. You all bring magic to this Island, some of you literally..." I said, glancing at Lady, who smirked. "But you all make this Island what it is today, and it couldn't be better. This place is a safe haven for steamers, and it always will be. I don't care what is modern, and what isn't, as long as I'm in charge of this railway, steamers will _always_ be welcome!" I said, earning myself another round of whistle blowing and cheers.

After a while, all of the engines began to head back to their respective homes for the night, leaving just myself, Frieda, Audrey, and Lady at the docks.

"It's all you Anon. You did this. You saved Sodor. There will be more like Dennis who come along, but now we can all rest easy, knowing that you won't have any of it." Lady said.

"Thanks, Lady. Between you and I, we'll keep this Island as it should be. I have no doubt of that." I said. Lady chuffed away, and Audrey sighed.

"My own home. I never thought I'd have one." she said. I smiled.

"Don't _think_ you have one... _know_ you have one. You're _always_ welcome here, Audrey. This railway has never run smoother since you arrived." I said. Audrey blushed. Frieda gave me a gentle push.

"Let us go home now, I am sure you are tired." she said. I agreed, and together, Frieda and I went back home.

. . .

Once Frieda was safely in her shed, a feeling of peace overcame both of us. As her firebox cooled, I stayed with her, the memories of the past weeks going through my head.

"It's amazing, isn't it? Three weeks, and so much happened... all because of losing Sir Topham Hatt. It really just goes to show how much difference any one person can make. Or any one engine." I said, smiling up at Frieda. "Frieda, do you know that if I hadn't met you, and this happened, I would have done nothing about it? I mean, I wouldn't have been happy, because I love my steamers, but... I did this all for you." I said. Frieda looked confused.

"Fohr me?" she asked. I nodded.

"When I was asking Dennis what his plans for the railway were, and he told me that he'd be sending all the steamers back to their original homes, and you'd be going back to Germany... I wasn't having that. I know how much you hated Germany, and I decided then and there that I would do anything to keep you from going back. You've lived so much of your life confined there, unhappy. I want you to live out the rest of your life on open rails, being happy. You deserve it." I said, caressing her face.

Frieda's eyes watered, as she cried at my words.

"I... I... I..." she sobbed quietly as I embraced her. I gave her a kiss, and massaged her, until she stopped crying.

"Eez zat really true?" she whispered finally. I nodded.

"It is. I would have stayed on Sodor, and put up with the changes. But I know how much you love it here, and how much it made you happy. I couldn't just let all of that get taken away. I love you to much to not do something about it." I said. Frieda trembled in my arms.

"I do not deserve you..." she said, looking sad. I kissed her again, and smiled.

"Well sorry, but you're stuck with me. I won't leave you for anything, or anyone. You and I are bonded, remember?" I asked, showing her my Rider palm. She smiled.

"Ja, I know... but... I think back to how I treated you ven I first arrived, und... vat I said to you on ze ship. I just... cannot fathom vhy you vould love me after all of zat." she said. I smiled.

"Because that wasn't you Frieda. Shortly after I saw you, I knew there was more to you than just a grumpy blue engine. I could tell you were bothered by many things, and I wanted to fix those things. People aren't just grumpy for no reason. The engine you are now, kind, friendly, caring, and passionate... that's you." I said, wiping her eyeliner streaks from her face.

"You don't have to wear makeup to make yourself look beautiful... you natural beauty is beyond comprehension." I said.

"I alvays vore eyeliner because... I thought eet vould make me more attractive... or less threatening..." she whispered. I smiled.

"What makes you attractive and less threatening is when you're yourself. When you break through that tough outer shell, and let everyone see who you really are. The engine I know you are. The engine I fell in love with." I whispered, closing my eyes as I leaned against her. Frieda closed her eyes, and the two of us were silent in each others embrace... until Frieda said those three words that made me smile, and know that everything would be alright.

"I love you... Anon."

And with those final words spoken, the two of us fell asleep, the weight of reality lifted from our minds.

Because when Frieda and I were together...

Nothing else mattered.


End file.
